Hitting an internet dead end and found out after Wilkinson museum shuttered records were scattered Into the wind. Found a lead in UK that had records online and emailed but email returned as invalid. So the search continues.....Anyone have a lead to Wilkinson info? Thanks

Looks like a dead end here as well

Dead end here but on another forum I was able to find who had the ledgers in england. Through email they confirmed they found my serial number and I will post up the request form and they will send me the info.

Should be interesting!

That is excellent, glad your persistence paid off. Be interested to see that you learn.
- Mike

Thanks. It is quite interesting.

I have a thread going on British Militaria forum
and have come up with some great info so far. quite interesting. A poster gave me some great info and a picture of his John Rigby boxlock 450 NE 3 1/4 that is almost identical made in 1904. The seller of my rifle said it was pre WW1 but Champlain had its sister gun one number removed and they indicated 1922 so that's what I assumed. This person believes that due to stock and rifle characteristics that my rifle is a pre war gun. The holder of the records has info so when they arrive from England I will share the secrets. Quite the fun treasure hunt!

If someone can help me post pics I can forward them and maybe get some more info that way as well

Ledger sheet in the mail from jolly old England

Well the Wilkinson info arrived. Not much of it except a scan of a ledger of its purchaser. It was sold to a Capt. S.L. Milligan on 19 July 1922. Ledger states its a .470 HV Double rifle. I was hoping for more info but better than none! Trying to find this Milligan Bloke I assume he was a WW1 Vet. Possibly the same person who took rifle to India. The search continues.....Was hoping to find out who made the rifle. Most suspected it was pre war but Champlin was correct on it's sister gun on number removed as 1922. Krupp barrels threw everyone off. I guess I can call champlin and see what they know. Gun sold by the way for a pretty good sum so I guess they are a decent quality which is how this one looks. But I am no expert...

I believe this may be your man, front row left. He served in the Australian infantry during WWI.

His full name was Stanley Lyndall Milligan

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C393664

Here is a summary of his war diary:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect...em/object/1030020809



Can you post some pictures of your rifle?

His father may have been Capt. George Dunbar Milligan, born in 1863 and served in the Sudan Expedition in 1885,late of the Coldstream Guards.
He was the son of Lt. Col. Charles Milligan, Justice of the Peace, of Caldwell Hall Derbyshire, who died in 1902.
These are the only Milligan family listed in my copy of Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1905. (!)

Don't you just love the British Empire?

Let me know if you need any further research done here in England.

HB

Ahh most excellent. Yes I found him online but wasn't sure because him being Australian. Any further research appreciated! Did he serve or emigrate to India?

Thanks so much. Yes did not seem to be very many SL Milligans so that's a good thing! When and how did he end up permanently or not to London to buy the rifle?

I saw this. I wasn't sure as he rose to Lt Col. but was mustered out in 1920 and had a commission in the Egyption Army (?). That may have been his official rank in 1922 (Capt)? Most interesting. Wounded at Gallipoli and a DSC recipient I believe.

Its the only guy I could find that fits

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
I believe this may be your man, front row left. He served in the Australian infantry during WWI.

His full name was Stanley Lyndall Milligan

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C393664

Here is a summary of his war diary:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect...em/object/1030020809



Can you post some pictures of your rifle?

Yes i saw a picture of him on a horse in Egypt and that is definitely the same guy. As to the rifle purchaser? Most interesting. Yes I can try to get pictures up I don't have a host but I'll figure something out. Interested to know how rifle got to India as the person who I purchased it from had a story of it being brought to India by an English officer or possibly an Australian officer? Most intriguing.

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
I believe this may be your man, front row left. He served in the Australian infantry during WWI.

His full name was Stanley Lyndall Milligan

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C393664

Here is a summary of his war diary:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect...em/object/1030020809



Can you post some pictures of your rifle?

So an English man could serve in the Australian infantry? Maybe because that's where he could get the commission? Seems his family may have been well connected so maybe he emigrated to Australia? That's what has thrown me off. SL seems like a established Briton.

quote:

Originally posted by HistoricBore:
His father may have been Capt. George Dunbar Milligan, born in 1863 and served in the Sudan Expedition in 1885,late of the Coldstream Guards.
He was the son of Lt. Col. Charles Milligan, Justice of the Peace, of Caldwell Hall Derbyshire, who died in 1902.
These are the only Milligan family listed in my copy of Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1905. (!)

Don't you just love the British Empire?

Let me know if you need any further research done here in England.

HB

I believe that a lot of Officers' commissions during the Great War were only "for the duration", and so he may have reverted back.

Caldwell Hall looks like it still exists if you zoom in on the digital maps closely. My late gunsmith friend lived three miles away.

The Burton upon Trent Historical Society has a very detailed write-up all about the Hall and the Milligan family, with plenty of photographs.

Calswell Hall is now occupied by an expensive private school for children with special needs.

HB

Sorry, but I have jumped the gun. The people I thought were his father and grandfather were a different branch of the family.

However I can see that he was born in 1888, and was maybe a twin, with a brother called Robert, who also was in Australia.
There are records of him returning from Sudan by ship in 1930 and again in 1933, maybe with your rifle. He died in Dorset, England in 1968 aged 80. No records of any wife or children.

I forgot to say he was born in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Very interesting thanks. Adds quite a bit of character to an old rifle. I will inquire with the person who imported it from India if he knows any more details. Like the name of the officer that brought it to India