TOPIC:

My friend recently acquired this deactivated 1892 Lee Enfield Mk. II rifle, and it has this unit marking. I believe it could stand for Warwickshire Yeomanry, Wiltshire Yeomanry, or the Worcestershire yeomanry. Can anybody help me identify the unit?



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West Yorks

Thank you much appreciated.

I think you will find the rifle is a Lee Metford not a Lee Enfield, since Enfield rifling only started in 1895. Of course it may have been re barrelled by the UDF as was commonly done. Post more photos if possible.
Groete
Rob

You are definitely correct. I confused the year of the adoption of Enfield rifling with 1890. The rifle displays no Union Defence Force markings at all, and also does not have a "sold-out-of-service" mark, so therefore, I believe that it is possible that the rifle was captured from a British Soldier by a Boer and was hidden somewhere till after the war.

One likely place of capture would have been shortly before Spioenkop on Tabanyama where the West Yorks unsuccessfully attacked Platkop on 21 January under Col. Walter Kitchener.