Decent article / post about Purdey

http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2015/09/28/leather-guns-tweed-purdeys-era-audley-house/

Good photos but the ones that bug me are the ones showing shooting scenes promoting the companies clothes; not just Purdey as they all do it, and they show obvious models who would be horrified if they got mud on their shoes or saw any blood and feathers. Might offer myself and two scruffy dogs up as models; that's if I get a free new suit of clothes to take home. :-) Thanks for posting the article up Watson 16. Lagopus.....

I can pretty much say with certainty, if I was carrying a $200,000 Purdey around, I wouldn't get dirty while doing it. I stayed perfectly clean while handling a H&H of about that value as well.

Chuck, if you can afford the $200K, you can afford to have it cleaned!

I snagged a pair of zippered, leather lined, replaceable sole, Hunter Sovereign's, and I can assure you, they are nothing like chore boots from TSC.
Choices make our economy go around.

I don't know anything about the "D-Day invasion was planned in the Long Room". Can anyone clarify that gentleman's post? Where can I read about that?

D-Day planning is mentioned in the below link. "it also played a role in the D-Day landings when Eisenhower’s deputy chief of staff, General Bedell-Smith, used the renowned Long Room for battle planning in 1942"

http://www.thevintagemagazine.com/sports/simply-the-best-purdey-celebrates-200-years-of-excellence/

Yes, I would like to know if there is any other reference about using a commercial building for planning such a highly secret matter especially in 1942. I can not remember anything about that in my readings. Is this just a" Purdey" interpretation of Smith simply going there while in London... When actual discussion was elsewhere?

lagopus - I wouldn't normally argue, .......but I wouldn't want mud on this pair of English doubles

http://www.pikore.com/m/1044951928795038788_201933072

Two of the three Fausti sisters.....The Dubarry Boots girls? ...... no takers

Condor - I tend to agree. Seems like convenient marketing claim. My understanding was that most of Operation Overlord was planned at Camp Griffiss in Brushy Park. That being said, the Blitz had been going on since September of 1940. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that locations moved around in response to the bombing, for some discussions.

This does not directly answer your question, but seems relevant in the context of the forum. E.J. Churchill’s nephew, Robert Churchill, worked closely with the SOE (Special Operations Executive) during the war. Nigel Brown and Michael McIntosh mention this in their respective books. Churchill built a secret manufacturing facility, including a range, beneath its Orange St. location to supply weapons to the SOE. My point being that clandestine activity did take place at commercial locations, but not on the scale of D-Day planning (in my opinion).

Does anyone know about General George Patton’s guns? I know he owned Parkers. A number of books I’ve read about him mention that he shopped for doubles in London and had a few with him in the car on the day he died. He was on his way to a pheasant shoot.

I have no doubt certain commercial buildings were used for SOE matters , but the logistics of security clearances for Purdey employees, their families, suppliers, even the mail delivery , not to mention the general public walking in and out of the shop just does not make sence. Everyone knew there was going to be an invasion somewhere at some time.Nor does it make sence that Smith was the only person named , and with Staff, logistics , including supplies and maps ,etc, would have made that location a big target as well as a potential security leak. I believe that the long room had no meaningful " part " in the D-day invasion and a more credible statement would be that Gen.Smith visited the location , perhaps several times , WHILE he was in London planning the D-day invasion. Obviously, I stand corrected if there is supporting information to clarify.

The fellow who did the planning for Overlord was British Gen. Frederick E Morgan. He'd started the job in 1943 as Chief Of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (designate) i.e. some bloke who was supposed to be George Marshall, but turned out to be Ike. Given his staff of 320 officers and 600 other ranks the Long Room must have been quite crowded!

Link here ... including the three principal locations in London. Fred Morgan

The plan was in already in place and had been approved, when Ike and his own COS Bedell Smith arrived at Bushey House and COSSAC was absorbed into SHAEF. Montgomery as Allied Land Commander accepted all the details with the exception of the numbers of troops to be involved on the first landings, and the width of the coastline to be attacked. In essence he beefed up the airborne attacks and put a lot more divisions ashore on five beaches instead of Morgan's three.

I'm fairly certain Churchill's underground range was established well before the war; he conducted all his criminological and ballistic work down there, including bullet matching by photomicrograph. He did indeed train a lot of the James Bonds of the time using the instinctive pointing method devised by the Shanghai police.

As a by the by it is said that when Lord Haw Haw heard that Churchill was teaching The Home Guard how to shoot descending parachute troops up the arse with Ross rifles, he protested that this was no way to treat brave men!

Eug

Interesting that the article mentions that all the Royals up to The Queen and Prince Charles have Purdeys. Seems the current gunmakers (or their luxury owners) with British royal warrants may have priced themselves into a quandary. Can one imagine the public outcry in the media if Prince William or Harry took delivery of a +$150k double? Or even worse, USED it against....birds or animals (with names and families and houses and personally sponsored tax free charities, which speak English and have wonderful parties at night after the zoo or park is closed, as all children are taught!)