Mountbatten in Burma as Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia
Posted on 06/20/2010 7:26:51 PM PDT by James C. Bennett
A James Bond-style gun that is disguised as a pencil and was given as a gift to Lord Mountbatten is coming up for auction.
The gold-plated item has a concealed trigger and a 2 3/4ins barrel that forms a .22 pistol and was presented to the last Viceroy of India by a Maharaja.
The 'pencil pistol' makes up part of the personal sidearms that belonged to Lord Mountbatten, a World War II hero who was blown up by the IRA in 1979.
He used some of them in World War II and they reputedly helped to preserve his life.
Bill Harriman, the gun expert from the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, said: "The guns are an eclectic mix of firearms acquired over a lifetime of military and public service
"When the guns come under the hammer I expect that their provenance will create a lot of interest.
Mountbatten was the uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
He played an active role in World War II and was the chief of combined operations and planned commando raids on occupied Europe.
After the war he was appointed the last Viceroy of India, and oversaw the transfer of power from the British to the Indians.
On August 27, 1979 Mountbatten went lobster fishing in a wooden boat while on holiday in County Donegal, Ireland.
Unbeknown to him, a member of the IRA and planted a bomb on it the night before which was activated while Mountbatten, then aged 79, and his family were on board.
He was seriously wounded and died by drowning while unconscious in Donegal Bay.
Others killed in the blast were his 14-year-old son grandson Nicholas Knatchbull, crew member Paul Maxwell, 15, and Baroness Brabourne, his elder daughter's 83-year-old mother-in-law.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
You might find this of interest.
Would that make it mightier than a sword?
It is sad that our British brothers are not allowed to own hand guns. (and most other guns)
Really Sad.
“Free Men do not have to ask permission.”
What a crappy way for a hero to die...
Who the hell goes lobster fishing? Some sort of sport I never heard of apparently.
"Lobsters are running mate. Bloody good fun with light tackle..."
Argh.
Hardly.
My father had one of these .22 pen guns. We experimented with it a couple times.
The cruddy little thing was only chambered to hold .22 Ball caps which didn't have the velocity to penetrate a fart.
They couldn't chamber a .22 short round.
They were good as starter pistols, I guess, shooting blanks. Otherwise, what were they good for?
Absolutely nothing, uh huh...
They could put your eye out!
Saw some photos a few years ago on a fishing forum of some guys on an offshore bottom fishing charter off NJ who dropped their lines into a herd of lobsters passing through. They reeled them in for over an hour and filled the boat.
I remember this happening back then.I thought that was a really dishonorable thing the ira did to a hero of WW2.Just reading that they also killed his grandson.That is really low down.
Hey, I’ve got a license plate from 1961 that says OJ 32 on it. Maybe I’ll auction it off.
What an auction!
Would love to have a catalog.
The assassination of his family was across the line.
Others buy it at the lobster store.
>>> He used some of them in World War II and they reputedly helped to preserve his life
That’s news to me. Mountbatten saw combat early on as captain of a destroyer lost in action (Noel Coward portrayed him in the wartime film version), but when did Dickie ever get close enough to the enemy to need a sidearm?
Very interesting fellow. And a most understanding and open-minded husband.
Here you go:
http://www.holtsauctioneers.com/Admin%20Stuff/Mountbatten.pdf
Kewl thanks.
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