I'm trying to write a piece on the Houndsditch Murders and the Siege of Sidney Street. Does anyone, particularly any of our British members, know if any of the firearms used by the criminals in these two events are still in existence; preserved in archives somewhere?

I read a great book on the Sidney St. incident many years ago. I recall mention of a Luger in the hands of one of the "anarchists". The soldiers were equipped with Martini - Henry rifles, and there was a photo of a City Police officer carrying a shotgun. The dust jacket displayed a photo of Winston Chuchhill peering around a corner also armed with a double barrel shotgun.

I seem to recall that the Luger ended up in the COL Police museum at 23 Old Jewry Lane in London.

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Why, I aughta.....

Thanks, Mike, for this information. I'm ignorant: what is the COL museum? I'd like to contact them.

Yes, Winston Churchill, as Home Secretary, was in that up to his nose. Can't keep an old war horse down. The two 'anarchists' holed up in Sidney Street were armed with Mauser pistols, and at least 200 rounds each. One of the pistols was seen to jam. Both were recovered after the house burned down. One of the shooters was himself shot and killed, the other burned in the house fire. In the earlier Houndsditch affair, (a bungled burglary, in which the police arrived when it was in progress) several of the gang carried Brownings, probably Model 1900s in 32 ACP, and Dreyse autos in the same caliber. There was one 'Bergmann' probably a Bergmann Simplex, as it's cartridge was said to have been mistaken for a 32 ACP, and the 8mm Bergmann round was based on the 32 ACP, and was very close to it in appearance, particularly to the average Bobby of the day.

The Metropolitan police had one Webley revolver and 12 (I believe) rounds of ammunition locked up in each police station. They had .303 Martini rifles, but they were fittted with the Morris Tube for indoor rifle practice and were practically useless in this situation. I wonder where Winston got his shotgun and what he thought he was going to do with it.

Here is some newsreel footage of the incident:

London - Sidney Street Siege - British Pathé

Charles