Purdey’s World War I years

We remember: Purdey’s World War I years

The first order from the Secretary of State for War was for “muzzle protectors”, a device designed to keep the Flanders mud out of rifle muzzles in the trenches, and a design for which Athol had received a patent in February that year. These were produced on hand presses, installed in the basement of Audley House, and operated by Harry Lawrence, who had only joined the company as an apprentice the year before but later went on to become Managing Director of the company in 1951. In all, over 130,000 were produced between March 1915 and February 1916.

Purdey was also contracted to fit telescopic-sights to service rifles for use by snipers. These were based around the Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield rifle (Mark III), and were built up by many of the British gun trade, each using their own pattern of mounts to meet the military specification. The first produced by Purdey appeared in June 1915, and thereafter a steady stream left the factory until July 1916, a little over 1,400 in total. Purdey then moved onto making Mark II magazines for the Lewis Gun for the rest of that year, before receiving contracts to produce other accessories for aerial combat, including the Hyland handle (a device for clearing jams on Vickers guns), trigger units, and various aerial-gunnery sights. 

The Norman sight

The aerial-gunnery sight with the strongest connection to Purdey was designed by Professor Norman, assisted by the Purdey factory manager, Ernest Lawrence (Harry’s father). The design used a set of vanes connected by pivoting rods to a red bead aiming-mark, which compensated for the amount of lead required for aerial combat. It was one of these Norman sights which was fitted to the plane flown by Captain Leefe Robinson on 3 September 1916, when he shot down the first Zeppelin at Cuffleys, near Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was awarded a V.C. for his actions, and an example of the sight was mounted on top of an ornate dinner gong, made from a German artillery shell case suspended between carved propellers, which lives in Purdey’s Long Room to this day.

The Purdey heroes

At the outbreak of the war, 24 men from Purdey’s factory volunteered, entering the Army Ordnance Corps as Armourer Staff Sergeants. This represented approximately a third of the factory staff, and they were employed behind the lines repairing small arms. Of these, all but seven returned to their former trades, one having died and the others preferring alternative careers. Seven apprentices had also joined up as they became eligible.

The myth of the Black Widows

Perhaps one of the greatest Purdey myths to arise from this period is that of the “Black Widows” – un-engraved Purdey guns with blacked actions, reputedly left unfinished when the buyers died in action. The entry “Out in Black” appears many times in the Purdey ledgers, particularly in the pre-war period, and denoted a gun which was mechanically complete but un-engraved at the start of the season. Rather than deny the customer his guns, the actions were left unhardened, given a black finish to prevent rust, and given to the customer for the season. Once he was done with them, they were then to be returned to the factory for engraving, hardening and finishing. However, clients sometimes chose not to return their guns, and so that final finishing was never applied. That the owner need not have died for this to occur can be seen in the case of the guns of Sir William Eden, father of Anthony Eden MP, whose guns went ‘out in the black’ in 1905. Although he used them for ten years, until his death at the age of 66, his guns remain in their unfinished state to this day.