De Lisle Commando Carbine

carbine & magazine, with Sight FIR 12137

The De Lisle Commando Carbine was developed during the Second World War by William De Lisle, an Engineer who worked for the Ministry of Aircraft Production. His concept for a shoulder fired weapon, fitted with a silencer of his own design came, by chance, to the attention of Combined Operations Headquarters and, subsequently, to that of the Special Operations Executive. Some prototype carbines were made-up at the Ford Motor Company's Dagenham works. They employed the action of the SMLE rifle, which was modified to chamber .45 Colt Automatic Pistol cartridges from the magazine of a Colt 1911A1 pistol. The bullet fired from this cartridge was subsonic, and was thus ideally suited for use in silenced weapons, as it did not make the supersonic 'crack' of higher velocity bullets. It was, nevertheless, effective out to around 200 metres. The success of these prototypes in the hands of British Commandos led to an order for 500 being placed with the Sterling Engineering Company. Production commenced in the summer of 1944, but was curtailed after only 130 carbines had been produced. The small number available inevitably limited the impact of the De Lisle Carbine during the Second World War. It was however to play a more prominent role in counter-insurgency operations during the post-war era - most notably during the Malayan Emergency.

De Lisle silenced carbine. Although this weapon saw little service during the Second World War, the Delisle carbine was particularly useful for the elimination of sentries in jungle ambushes.

R 4973

THE DE-LISLE CARBINE C.O.S.D. 2111. S.E.CO.

1917 SHT LE III* F.T.R.