Explore the equipment issued to Auxiliary Units

One sinister weapon which was given to the members of the Auxiliary Unit patrols was a special .22 rifle - usually manufactured by BSA, Winchester or Remington. A report by Duncan Sandys to the Prime Minister in August 1940, confirmed that sniping would be in the Auxiliary Units' remit. This rifle, which was fitted with a powerful telescopic sight and a silencer, could either fire high-velocity bullets for additional lethality at extended ranges or subsonic bullets for virtual silence if the target was relatively close.

Sten Gun – a 9mm sub-machinegun (called 'machine carbines' in the UK) that was mass produced to be cheap and easy to manufacture. It operated from an open bolt using a blowback system, held a 32-round magazine and over 4 million were produced.

Made from 1942 - 1945, in the UK and Canada

Calibre - 9mm

Magazine capacity - 32 rds

Rate of fire - 540 rpm

Used by the British Army, RAF, Home Guard, Auxiliary Units and the SOE - Resistance units in Europe.

Made between mid-1942 and late-1943, mainly by Lines Brothers Ltd, London. Lines Brothers Ltd, is better known for making Tri-ang toys, Meccano and Dinky.

Calibre - 9mm

Magazine capacity - 32 rds

Rate of fire - 540rpm

In British service from 1944 until the mid-1960s, replaced by the Sterling Sub-Machine Gun

Calibre - 9mm

Magazine Capacity - 32

Rate of Fire - 540 rounds per minute

This weapon, designed by John T. Thompson, was the original 'gangster gun' (and had nicknames such as the 'Chicago Typewriter' and 'The Chopper'), rising to fame during the 'Roaring' Twenties and used by such notables as Al Capone and John Dillinger. Originally it operated a form of blowback system, fired the .45 ACP cartridge and had a 50- or 100-round drum magazine but was modified over the course of its life. While one of the first firearms in Auxiliary Unit service, over time, many were replaced by the Sten Gun.