Truth stranger than fiction??
Dundurn, about 1988.
On late spring day, we jumped into a old 'Soviet' trench system (w/Coy bunker all perfectly made correctly) near The Pines, on the North side of Strathcona Camp somewhere, and there sitting there was a C1 SMG, with BFA attached, 30rd magazine in (with blanks loaded into it), cocked, and yes, on safe. There was a fair bit of rust on the weapon, so it had been ther most likely all winter, and was left there from the last fall.
The SMG was turned into the CFB MJ MP Det, and we later heard it could not be traced who/what Unit had actually lost it. In those days CFR's were not computer tracked, and a card system was used.
Anyways, never did find out which Unit owned it, and who knows how thye got away with losing it, and somehow covering it up.
Australia, about 1995. When I was with 103 Fd Wksp (my 1st posting out of Leichhardt NSW), the Unit found a No1 MkIII SMLE .303 rifle, literally under a big ghost gum at Singleton NSW. We ended up cleaning it up, the wood weathered beyond, and the rifle rusted solid. It was mounted on some timber, and hung in the SGTs Mess for years, before some idiot RQ, decided it was a pain and surrendered it to DNSDC Moorebank for destruction.
Note: Inside the butt trap was a pull thru, all rotted, and a nice brass oil bottle, which I still have.
When I was at DNSDC one time, I noticed tthe timber it had been mounted on (neatly piled with other pieces of wood, used for the same thing), with the plaque still attached. Yes the rifle went to Port Kembla at Wollongong south of Sydney, and was smelted along with other items, which included an nice serviceable 8mm Jap Type 14 pistol. What a waste.
Regards,
Wes