Question about a Thompson FM 23-40 "Basic Field Manual'

[Lawman9328]

Hi,

I decided to look for a FM 23-40 to keep with my TSMG and after looking at several I ended up purchasing one with the December 31, 1941 date on the cover.  When I received it, it included a multi-page insert labeled "FM 23-40 C 1"

From my prior military experience I know that this is a change document for making official changes to a particular manual until the next version of that manual can be produced.

I'm still new to the TSMG community so there is a lot I am trying to learn, but in all of my reading in books and on the internet.....as well as looking having looked at numerous 23-40's while I was trying to find one to purchase......I have never seen a mention of this change document.  All I really found was an old post on here from 2007 !

I believe that both documents are original.  I am just kind of curious if I stumbled onto a good find or if they are so common no one really talks about them anymore.

Thanks, 

Gene  (aka "Lawman9328")

 

[rpbcps]

Gene,

How many FM 23-40's can a man want? Believe it or not, in my collection I have seven, all different including one in French and one which omits reference to FM 23-40, which I am assuming is an Australian reprint from the photos in it.
The US printed FM 23-40's are dated 1940, 1942, 1945, 1947 and 1964.
The 1964 version mentions on the front cover - "with changes 1, 2, 3 & 4 inserted"... and first page is C1, which looks identical to photo in your post.

Stay safe

Richard

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by rpbcps
1949 edition should have read 1940, hence change and added photo of 1964 edition 1st Page

[Rekraps]

You guys have everything! Wow.

[rpbcps]

32 minutes ago, rpbcps said:

Gene,

How many FM 23-40's can a man want? Believe it or not, in my collection I have seven, all different including one in French and one which omits reference to FM 23-40, which I am assuming is an Australian reprint from the photos in it.
The US printed FM 23-40's are dated 1940, 1942, 1945, 1947 and 1964.
The 1964 version mentions on the front cover - "with changes 1, 2, 3 & 4"... and first page is C1, which looks identical to photo in your post.

Stay safe

Richard

 

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by rpbcps
Posted in error changing edition dates hence ignore please

[Maxim]

Rather than reprint the entire manual, it is common for changes to be printed and added to the original, sometimes as an insert until the manual is reprinted.  There can be multiple changes until the reprint is done.  From a former supply sergeant, who had to keep track of things like this.

[rpbcps]

42 minutes ago, Maxim said:

Rather than reprint the entire manual, it is common for changes to be printed and added to the original, sometimes as an insert until the manual is reprinted.  There can be multiple changes until the reprint is done.  From a former supply sergeant, who had to keep track of things like this.

Good point, and as a former soldier myself, I understand how easy it is to misplace the separate sheets that individual changes are printed on, pre digital age.

Hence the WW2 separately printed change sheets are probably very rare to find. I know the separate change sheets issued with the British Small Arms Training Pamphlet 21 for the TSMG are not very easy to find, so pamphlets discovered with them are a premium. 

Similar to the 1940 AOC NY address handbooks with the separate stoppages pull out sheet, later added to the 1940 AOC Bridgeport address handbooks which had the stoppages sheet added, as pages to the book.

Stay safe

Richard

[rpbcps]

Here is a link to my old post comparing a regular FM 23-40 to the one, which I presume is an Australian version of the manual.

 

[Lawman9328]

Richard,

Thanks for that.

Related to your 08/21 response, my question was definitely more about the separately printed "change document" (Change 1) that I found inside the FM 23-40 I purchased.  I had not seen any mention of the change documents previously and that's why I was wondering if I had stumbled across an "unusual" find.  The FM that I purchased was the December 1941 version and I believe the next version was March 1942.  I would assume that the change document corrections / additions for the December '41 version would have been incorporated into the March '42 version therefore making the "change 1" an unnecessary document after March 1942.

Again, just curious about my "find".  Is there a list anywhere that collects the various change documents that were produced for the Thompson's field manuals (FM), technical manuals (TM), etc. over the course of it's history ?

Gene  (aka "Lawman9328")

[rpbcps]

Gene,

I personally have never come across any separate change document like you found👍 I guess a lot of them are misplaced over the years. It is the same with the British small arms training pamphlets, it is not often you find the individual amendment sheets.

I do believe there were four change sheets issued for FM23-40 though, I only know this, as the final revision dated 1964 actually states that "changes 1, 2, 3 & 4 inserted".

As to a list of changes to manuals, I am sure they exist somewhere, maybe another member on the board can help us with an answer to that one though, as I have no idea.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Richard

Edited August 27, 2023 by rpbcps
Typo

[dalbert]

There are 4 separate change documents for FM 23-40.  C1 and C2 are fairly common.  C4 is very hard to find.  I will dig mine out.

My original response stated there were 6 supplements. (Until I edited it 17 minutes afterwards)  I was going from memory, and I believe I was thinking of FM 23-7 for the Carbine, or FM 23-35 for the M1911A1.  Memory is a funny thing...

David

[rpbcps]

Treasure the memory while it lasts 👍