ON THE 26 May 1941 the 2/43 Battalion were issued with 24 American Thompson machine guns - popularised by the media as the "Tommy Gun".

The weapon was difficult to manufacture and consequently rather expensive. It's price tag was around £50 [1] - compare this to the British made Sten gun at £3 a copy [2]. It was redesigned in 1941 to reduce the cost of manufacture. More than 1.24 million Thompsons were manufactured in WWII.

Accessories included 20 and 50 round drum magazines. The Thompson fired a .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge.

Despite the negative association of the Thompson with American gangsters, it was a popular weapon. However, it was heavy, and troops found that the 50 round drum magazine was best left behind during night patrols because of the rattling noise it made.