Deactivated WWII British military Marked Line Thrower Pistol

This is a WWII British military marked Line Thrower Pistol as used by the Royal Navy. It is marked with the wartime dispersal code M601, this was only used by Berridge & Co (BE.Co) during WWII. The pistol has matching numbers with a broad acceptance stamp partially covered by the middle number 3 in the serial number. This variant utilieses a No2 MK5 1inch flare pistol attached to a Schermuly line throwing tube and handle.The Schermuly design was highly successful for the throwing of lines from shore to ship, or ship to ship. The Schermuly system saved countless lives at sea. They were used predominantly by the Royal Navy throughout WWII.