ErnieNoakes Posted 23 October , 2003 Share Posted 23 October , 2003 My great uncle CSM Frank Bytheway, !st Bn South Staffordshire Regt., was awarded the DCM. The citation reads; "For conspicuous devotion to duty on October 29th 1914 near Kruiseik during a counter attack, when he personally carried a machine gun in the firing line for threequarters of a mile and only ceased firing when his amunition was exhausted, he then continued to carry the gun till the end of the attack." According to what I've read the Lewis gun didn't come into service untill 1915. I find it hard to believe he carried a Vickers machine gun. When did the 1st. Bn receive the Lewis gun? Can anyone throw any light, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 23 October , 2003 Share Posted 23 October , 2003 Ernie It's a pleasure to talk to you. Your great uncle is one of my all-time heroes. (I've been studying the 1st South Staffords for years, and have walked in every one of his footsteps! Please email or PM me if you would like any detailed info about their activities. If you have any photos I would be very interested to see them.) No, it wasn't a Lewis gun, but a Vickers. The weight of this thing is terrific. He would not (presumably - I think it's probably physically impossible) have used it to fire from the hip, but must have plonked it down every now and again to fire. It is probable to that one or two others were with him, carrying the tripod, ammunition, etc. regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 23 October , 2003 Share Posted 23 October , 2003 Here's the war diary for 21 October 1914, location Broodseinde: 21 October 1914 Furious German attack all day. Drummer Wheeler and Arnold KIA by snipers, Lt Evans wounded. At 1600 2nd Queens and 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers withdrew, leaving the left flank exposed. Battn lost stores and transport, and all the officers kit. From left to right in the line, half of C Coy,then A,B,and D. The other half of C in reserve. The Battn HQ in St Josephs school was shelled. "Good shooting today". Lt Holmes was killed while in command of half of B Coy. He was superintending a machine gun. L/Cpl Protherick of the band wounded while carrying a wounded man. On the right, Capt Ransford was wounded in the hand while using binoculars. The machine guns, placed on the road between A/B and C/D Coys, did "good execution". Sgt Bytheway was in charge. There is no diary after 26 October. There was no one left to write it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Parker Posted 23 October , 2003 Share Posted 23 October , 2003 Ernie/Chris In 29th October 1914, it would have been a Maxim machine-gun, very unlikely to have been a Vickers that early and that makes it heavier that a Vickers to carry. I've never discovered when the Vickers was first issued to front line units, but I have yet to see one in action during 1914. Although the London Scottish purchased two direct from VSM and as far as I'm aware were the first unit to have them. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 23 October , 2003 Share Posted 23 October , 2003 Quite right, Geoff. I was getting carried away in my excitement at contacting a relative! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 24 October , 2003 Share Posted 24 October , 2003 Geoff is correct - it was the Maxim Gun that was in use at this time and 14/Londons were the only ones to have Vickers mgs, having privately purchased them. There are some good photos of the Maxim in the Osprey book on 'The Old Contemptibles'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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