A very short one today. Emily is a story about a boy and a girl (for all intents and purposes). World War 1 was the fiercest conflict humanity had ever brought upon itself up until World War 2. Between 1914 and 1918, more than 100,000,000 lives were lost directly and indirectly. Heroes emerged in its wake, but so did broken men and women; soldiers, factory workers, logistics teams, operational staff, ration makers, bread bakers, seamstresses, clerks and tellers. Sadly, those who took part in The Great War are gone — only their written, pictured and videoed memories remain.
I remember the first girl I ever held; Emily. She wasn’t from the same town as me, no; her skin was darker and the brass rings she wore were polished, shining, sparkling. I never thought I’d meet a girl like her. Funnily, it was only after I enlisted that I met her. She came into camp one day on the back of a truck, Leftenant Harris paired us up and we danced, for a time. Then, she went. I didn’t see her again until I was on the train to Dover. I made plenty of friends before leaving for France, but Emily was the one friend that I knew would never leave my side. I was initially taken aback that she’d be allowed to come with me, granted how splendid she was, but when we landed on Dunkirk’s sand I took her waist and she took mine; marching to Passchendaele. Cold nights in a wet trench were the worst, more-so whenever Emily and I were on watch. Still, I’d be her eyes and she’d be my voice; deterring wanderers, scoundrels and saboteurs. Me and my Emily – we were unmatched. Together, I’d say we scored twenty-plus (even if it was me doing all the work). Alas, all good things must come to an end. A stray shell took her, leaving me with an armful of splinters and ringing ears. But... You always remember your first. My first, my Emily, she was an Emily like no other. I loved her, I really did – more than the other boys loved theirs. No, no other would harbour the love I bore for my Emily. To me, all after her were just thing, only things… Emily. My SMLE. God bless Lee’s hands for the craft he put into that Mark III.
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield MKIII (SMLE for short — Emily to some) remains one of the best examples of a bolt-action rifle in the world and, to this day, is still sought after as a collectors item. T.E Lawrence’s own Lee-Enfield which he used during the War can be seen in the gallery of The Royal Collection.
While famous for being associated with British troops serving in France at the time, the Lee-Enfield was the Irish Republican’s rifle of choice (the only choice, really) during the Easter Rising and, subsequently, the War of Independence. Many well-maintained examples can be seen in Collins’ Barracks in Dublin and at Kilmainham Gaol — testaments to James Paris Lee’s work at the Enfield factory in developing one of the best rifles of the 20th century.
Auf Wiedersehen.
AJ Carney 