A luger pistol is among those items missing from MOD facilities (Picture: Tank Museum) — A P08 Luger, similar to this, was among hundreds of items listed as missing by the MOD (Picture: The Tank Museum)

Weapons and Kit

Historic machine gun and WW2 pistol among items lost by MOD over past two years

A pistol, an assault rifle and a First World War-era machine gun are among hundreds of items that have gone missing from Ministry of Defence facilities over the past two years, it has emerged.

The deactivated Second World War P08 Luger pistol and Sten sub-machine gun were both lost in June 2023, while a Glock 19 handgun was stolen in December that year.

The figures were revealed in response to a parliamentary question by the Liberal Democrats.

And an SA80 L85 assault rifle, the standard issue service rifle of the British military, was stolen but later found last year.

Apart from the weaponry, the figures show that more than 700 phones, laptops, computers and USB sticks also went missing over the same two-year period.

The number of phones which have gone missing from the MOD has risen from 101 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, while for USB sticks the figure was 20 in 2023 and 125 in 2024.

However, the number of laptops lost or stolen has fallen from 176 in 2023 to 138 in 2024.

Some 25 computers were also lost or stolen in the past year.

Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said the losses were "deeply concerning", especially at a time of heightened global security tensions.

Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said the security of equipment, especially of firearms, was taken very seriously, with all losses and thefts being "fully and rigorously investigated".

Watch: US War Department training video on how to fire German weapons

The P08 pistol was designed in 1898 by Austrian Georg Luger.

Known for having a smooth magazine load, the pistol was accepted into the Imperial German Navy in 1904. The P08 was used in both world wars.

The British Sten submachine gun was mass-produced in 1941 and initially suffered from problems including jamming.

Both weapons were a feature of Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of high-ranking SS official Reinhard Heydrich in Prague in 1942.

The Sten famously jammed as Jozef Gabčík tried to open fire, after which Heydrich drew his Luger.

Fellow commando Jan Kubiš then threw a modified anti-tank grenade at Heydrich's car, fatally wounding him.