303

The cartridge (not bullet) on the left is the .303 British. The cartridge was used by British forces in rifles and machine guns from 1888 until it was supplanted by the 7.62 NATO cartridge in the 1950s. Also, the spelling of the German should be Panzerbuechse. (The "u" should have an umlaut, but "ue" is a correct substitute.) I don't seem to be able to create an umlaut in Flickr.

More T-Gewehr:

Great capture

This lot look a tough bunch do they not? Can you give us any more detail about this interesting picture please?

Formidable machines...great photo.Thanks so much!

I meant the men as the tough looking bunch, I just feel that there may be more to this picture that can be said.

FrigateRN No more detail to hand, I'm afraid, which is one of the reasons I've uploaded it here! Hoping to learn more about both men and machines...

97 round pan magazines for the Lewis Gun

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_gun

More Bain Lewis Gun photos

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION© IWM (Q 16304)

This photo from the Imperial War Museum site, captioned: "Air mechanics of No. 22 Squadron filling Lewis drums and Vickers belts at the "Armoury" at Vert Galand[Sic] aerodrome, 1 April 1918." McLellan, David (Second Lieutenant) (Photographer)

THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918© IWM (Q 11995)

A companion photo taken at the same place, captioned "Issuing Lewis guns with Lewis and Vickers ammunition to observers and pilots of No. 22 Squadron at the aerodrome at Vert Galand, 1 April 1918."
McLellan, David (Second Lieutenant) (Photographer)

THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918© IWM (Q 11994)

Interesting, the soldiers don't look too bothered and if they are searching they are not expecting any surprises! The rifles are Lee-Enfield Mark I's I think and interestingly they are not fitted with rifle slings which you would expect if they were marching about and crawling around under trains etc. I wonder what regiment they are from and where it was taken????

Looking closer to try and establish what was on the shoulder of the man nearest the camera doing the best piece of acting I see he has his gloves under his epaulette and it conveniently turns the badge outwards. I am not sure what is on that badge but some of the more computer savvy Flickroonies might be able to decipher it???? The gloves would indicate that it was not taken at the height of the summer and yet not wearing greatcoats would tell you that it was not winter either!

The shoulder badge is pretty illegible. He's a sergeant though, if that's of any interest.

It looks like "...RI3S", with the 3 and the S squashed into one another. Or maybe it's "...RES"

Could concieveably be "...BERKS" but it looks more like "...ARES" or "...ARCS"