American Guns for Britain! The American Committee for the Defence of British Homes | World War 2 

I'd never heard of this committee and it's wonderful when you think of the power of ordinary people just wanting to help in our darkest hour. Keep going with your work, you tell stories that deserve to be remembered. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

I live in Georgia and am not too far from Thomasville (5:50). Proud to hear of the donation. I wonder if it was returned. Many of these were returned to the US. This should be a lesson to all of us about the national dangers of disarming the public.

Good to see people pulling together for others.

If not forced, Americans are always happy to help those who are in need in their darkest hour. We consider it an honor to do so

I hadn’t heard this before, very interesting, thanks

Great video, Robbie. I always wonder with the call for arms, how much was genuine need, perceived need or another step in trying to drag the U.S. off the fence and out of isolationism. Certainly the period after Dunkirk was pretty dire in terms of small arms availability, but production would replace a lot of that need by the winter of 1940. I think the main benefit of the call for arms is that it helped lay the groundwork for lend lease and re-shape public opinion within the U.S., opening the door for the far greater practical and financial support that the U.S. would go on to provide. Would be interesting to deep dive into actual production and availability figures during the 2nd half of 1940 and associated cabinet minutes to find out the real state of affairs.

The S.S. Vasconia sailed from London for New York City in October 1947 with 144 crates of arms being returned to the American Committee, via the British Consul in New York, Sir Francis Evans. The consignment weighed 14 tons and 4.5 cwt. “I am delighted to receive back in good condition the Remington rifle which I contributed some years ago in response to the appeal from England. As a matter of fact I had not supposed that I would see this rifle again.” - donor in Cleveland OH. “This morning the Express Company returned the Krag rifle that I contributed to you in 1940. It is in perfect condition and when I replace it in my gun cabinet I will do so with gratification of the use to which it was dedicated.” - donor in San Francisco CA. The American Committee reported that in a number of cases, their attempts to ship to ship the arms back to the donor had resulted in returned deliveries. Presumably the donors had died, or moved leaving no forwarding address. They decided to dispose of these arms locally and in their accounting figures the Committee reported that 36 cases of rifles and shotguns were sold to Francis Bannerman for $986, which suggests that they were not worth much. Sale of pistols and revolvers to J.F.Galef Inc. of New York City yielded $6149, suggesting that either a good many more handguns were disposed of, or that they were worth more.

In a sense America was never actually neutral, at least in an unofficial sense. It was always clear that the Americans were going to side with Britain in the war, and although there were many Americans who wanted to stay out America was starting to get on a wartime footing even before the war started. I believe the draft in America got started in 1940, a year before the war started.

Im glad us yankees helped arm your lads across the pond

Make a vídeo about battle of mirbat sas Rorke's drift

3:53 Chauchat

Wonder were David M leans rifle is now bet he treasured it especially when out at night never know what or who might just fall out of the sky

What a waste! The donated firearms were scrapped after the war.

The weapons were loaned with the understanding that they would be returned to their owners in the states, this did not happen, the Brits destroyed them instead.

Yeah but Henry Ford received a medal from Hitler because the Nazis drove across France with Ford Motors.😂