Historic Battlefield Capture Remington Rolling Block, Battle of Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt, Grenadier Guards

This is a rare and historically significant Remington Rolling Block Rifle that was manufactured as the No. 1 Remington Military Rifle in .43 Egyptian caliber for the Egyptian Army. This particular rifle was a battlefield capture rifle by the British Army’s 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards at the famous Battle of Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt, which occurred on September 13, 1882, and presented by Quarter Master Sergeant Glynn of the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards to the Sergeants Mess of the North Middlesex Rifles.

The Remington Rolling Block was designed by Remington engineers Joseph Rider and Leonard Geiger in 1864, based on the 1863 pattern split breech carbine issued to Union cavalry troops in the U.S. Civil War. Remington modified the split breech design by creating a rotating or “rolling” breech block, which was named the “Remington System.”

In 1868, the Egyptian Government placed an order with Remington for the No. 1 Remington Military Rifle chambered in the .43 Egyptian cartridge. These rifles were to be manufactured at Remington’s plant in Ilion, New York supervised by U.S. Army inspectors. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 impacted the original order, however, as France was in desperate need of arms. As a result, and to gain influence with France, Egypt agreed to “default” on the original order allowing France to purchase them. Consequently, many of the 174,000 Remington rifles and carbines shipped to France in 1870-71 were part of the original Egyptian contract.

While deliveries of Remington No. 1 Rifles resumed after 1871, it was not until 1875 that the majority of Egyptian soldiers obtained Remington rifles. By 1876, some 60,000 No. 1 Remington Military Rifles had been delivered to Egypt.

Remington Rolling Blocks issued to Egyptian troops were in three types: the No. 1 Military Rifle, of which this rifle is an example, a cut-down version often referred to as a “musketoon,” and the No. 1 Military Carbine. All of these Remington firearms arrived from the United States with blued steel and walnut stocks. Rifle barrels were factory fitted with a lug to accept a saber bayonet. The official Egyptian military use of the Remington No. 1 Military Rifle came after this rifle was captured at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir. With the British victory of Egyptian forces, the British disbanded the old Egyptian Army and raised a new force in its place. The new Egyptian Army, under British control, were then issued with British Martini-Henry Rifles.

As noted previously, this particular rifle was captured by the 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir on September 13, 1882, and subsequently presented by Quarter Master Sergeant Glyn of the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards to the Sergeants Mess of the North Middlesex Rifles, a unit that also fought at Tel-El-Kebir.

With the collapse of the Egyptian economy in the 1870s due to the fall in Egyptian Cotton prices as a result of the end of the U.S. Civil War, and the enormous debts owed by the Egyptian government to Britain and France as the Suez Canal became dominated by European trade, Britain and France saw to the deposition of the Egyptian Khedive Ismail and the installation of his son Tewfik, who essentially answered to the British and French as the principle creditors of Egypt. British Prime Minister Disraeli then managed to secure most of the shares of the Suez Canal Company for Britain, which led to a rise in Egyptian nationalism. This nationalist movement was led by Egyptian Colonel Arabi Pasha, who sought to expel all Europeans and Turks from Egypt. Colonel Arabi’s movement eventually led to an insurrection under the banner “Egypt for Egyptians,” which significantly weakened Khedive Tewfik’s position as king. Such was the distrust and anger at Europeans that Colonel Arabi soon became a de facto dictator in Egypt. The political and security situation in Egypt soon deteriorated rapidly forcing the British Government to act.

General Sir Garnet Wolseley was given command of an expeditionary force comprising approximately 40,000 British soldiers from garrisons in Cyprus, Malta, Gibraltar, and India. On August 20, 1882, after a feint at Karfdowar, Wolseley landed his main force at Ismailia along the Suez Canal. Colonel Arabi’s forces numbered about 60,000 soldiers, of which only about 12,000 were regular Egyptian soldiers, and were split into three main groups. The main force was located at Tel-El-Kebir, on the railway between Ismailia and Cairo. This main force, comprising most of Arabi’s regular troops, were armed with the Remington No. 1 Rifles, including this very rifle, while his non-regular troops were armed with old muzzle-loading rifles. Arabi dug his men in along a 7 kilometer front and he had artillery supporting his defensive position.

General Wolseley wanted a quick, decisive victory over Arabi’s forces to prevent disillusioned Egyptians from joining his ranks. Wolseley’s plan was to begin his advance on Arabi’s lines at 12:15 am on September 13th. Under cover of British artillery, Wolseley’s forces would advance at a rate of 2 km/h until they reached their jumping off point just before first light. The British attack began just before 5:45 am, along a 7 km front with two divisions, consisting of two infantry brigades each, with the British artillery in the center and a cavalry force on the British right flank. The Highland Brigade led the advance on the left flank. When the British forces were 400 meters from the Egyptian ramparts, they were met by a volley of fire from the Egyptian forces. The British then attacked and stormed the ramparts with fixed bayonets. Wolseley lost over 200 men in this initial attack. Further British infantry attacked in the center, while the Naval Brigade and the Indian Brigade forced Arabi’s right flank to retreat. This rifle was captured by the 2nd Grenadier Guards, which were on Wolseley’s right flank as part of the Guards Brigade (1st Brigade) under Major General HRH The Duke of Connaught, along with the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, and 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, part of the British 1st Division under Lieutenant General G.H.S. Willis, Arabi’s forces were in disarray and fled into the desert. British casualties numbered 57 killed and 412 wounded, while Egyptian forces suffered around 2,000 killed and an unknown number wounded. The day after the battle, British cavalry entered Cairo and captured Colonel Arabi. Tewfik was again undisputed leader of Egypt and Britain began an uneasy occupation that ultimately ended with General Gordon’s death at Khartoum in the Sudan in early 1885.

The unit to which this rifle was presented, the North Middlesex Rifles, also known as the 49th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, were part of Wolseley’s army trains, and formed the British Expeditionary Force’s Army Post Office Corps, since most of these Middlesex men served in the Royal Mail Service in England.

Quarter Master Sergeant Glynn, who captured and presented this rifle, was Joseph Glynn, Grenadier Guards Regiment number 1949, and his files notes his medal for service in Egypt was presented to him by Queen Victoria herself in early 1883. Glynn was born in 1845 in Rainham, Essex, England. He married Louisa A. Pereira on December 2, 1876. After his retirement from the Army, Glynn worked as a Hall Keeper in the House of Commons. Joseph Glynn died in July 1923 in Croydon and was buried August 1, 1923 at the Mitcham Road Cemetery.

This rifle is in antique very good plus and all original condition. The original black walnut stock has numerous dings and scratches, but no cracks are noted. There is one chip in the stock on the right side between two barrel bands and adjacent to the barrel, and this appears to be a period of use chip, probably during or shortly after the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir. The left side of the stock, just to the rear of the receiver, has the box with serif “HBH” cartouche, which is the final inspection stamp of Henry B. Hart, who is known to have inspected Remington Rolling Block rifles during the mid-1870s. The lower barrel band exhibits old corrosion, but both screws and the swivel are present. The Nose Cap is present, and it exhibits evidence of old pitting, but it remains securely attached to the stock. The left side of the stock, below the comb, is the silver disc with the inscription, “TROPHY FROM TEL-EL-KEBIR / SEPT 13TH 1882 / Presented by / QTR MASTER SERGT GLYNN 2ND BATTN GRENADIER GUARDS / TO THE / Sergeants Mess / NORTH MIDDLESEX RIFLES.”

The original Receiver is present and is in very good condition. The receiver exhibits a smooth, plum patina throughout. The left side of the receiver has a serif “H” stamp, indicating inspection by Henry Hart. The Trigger Guard exhibits the same smooth patina as does the Trigger, which functions correctly. The original Breech Block is in fine condition, exhibiting a smooth plum and pewter patina. The checkering on the thumb piece remains crisp. The original Firing Pin is present. The original Hammer is present, and it also exhibits a smooth plum and pewter patina with sharp checkering, without a border. The Hammer holds at half- and full-cock, and the sear release is crisp. The Receiver tang has the correct, three-line Remington address and patent stamps.

The original .43 caliber Barrel is present, and it exhibits a smooth plum patina throughout on the exposed portion. The bore is in very good condition with crisp rifling and areas of frosting in the lands and grooves, but with an overall shiny appearance. The right side of the barrel has the correct, factory-installed bayonet lug, which was a requirement of the original Egyptian Army contract. The outer face of the lug has a serif “H” inspection stamp. The original Front Sight remains tightly brazed to the barrel, and it exhibits a smooth plum patina. The left rear of the Barrel has a later Birmingham Proof stamp, which was required when the rifle was returned to England after the Egyptian Campaign in 1882. The original Remington Rear Sight assembly is present, and it exhibits a pewter and plum patina. The original Elevation Leaf is present, but the elevation slide is now missing. The top of the barrel, just forward of the receiver, has a sans serif “HH3,” which is either a unit marking or the inspection stamp of Henry Hart.

All three Barrel Bands are present, and all are the original split type with the standard “U” stamp on the left side. The middle band has the original sling swivel, which rotates easily. The original Cleaning Rod is present and now exhibits a relatively clean pewter patina. The end of the rod is correctly threaded, and it has a wiper slot in the head with seven cannelures. The Cleaning Rod stows securely in the stock. The original Butt Plate is present, and it exhibits a pitting surface on the back and tang, while exhibiting a dark plum patina. Both original Butt Plate Screws are present, and both have unmarred slots.

This is an historically significant, battlefield captured Remington No. 1 Rifle that was carried by an Egyptian Army Soldier at the famous Battle of Tel-El-Kebir, which was captured by the Quarter Master Sergeant of the famed Grenadier Guards and later presented to the North Middlesex Sergeants’ Mess. This rifle still functions perfectly. It is rare to be able to trace a military firearm to a particular time and place generally, but in this case we are able to know exactly where this rifle was on September 13, 1882, and to who it was captured.