Can you identify this?

The Air Ministry Stores Ref. series 5L usually covers filament lamps (bulbs). It doesn’t look right for this piece.

I agree with TT that cast numbers are usually maker’s refs, not Ministry ones.

TB –

Fraid not – have to say would usually expect cast numbers on American kit not RAF – which were usually stamped/engraved – been trying to find a website which list RAF ident numbers – cant find it at the moment – 5L may be the RAF ident code for cameras and photographic equipment – no sign of any manufacturers plate or year?

TT

TT,

Do those numbers mean anything to you?

Here’s what I found…..

To me it look’s like 5L-9702 & 5L-17101.

Any ideas?

look forward to it – Whatever its origin – hang on to it – they’re worth a few quid!

TT

Gents, thanks for all the great clues!

TT, I will have a closer look at it for any markings.

Regards,

From one of those lovely propaganda type books – “Our Air Force”, published in 1940.

Mark

It does look like the RAF Camera Guns (as opposed to a Gun Camera) I’ve seen, which as you say were used as a training “weapon”, the film recording likely “hits”. They’re really just cine-cameras shaped like Lewis guns. This pdf has some info on the US version:

http://www-tech.mit.edu/archives/VOL_042/TECH_V042_S0093_P001.pdf

[edited to add]
IWM camera gun:

And another example , showing significant differences with yours…

Looks like a Gun camera body to me, missing the lens and film drum – appears to be in AM blue/gray but would expect some form of 6A/ number or similar together with makers ID or WD arrow/date – any markings?

TT

i think some of the WW2 made RAF books have phots of air gunners using them on models to record accuracy before being let on real guns!

hmmm, not an actual gun part but built similarly… like this early 40s Japanese machine-gun style camera. Some interesting similarities with the Lewis too, just no mechanism. Could it also be a training dummy for aerial gunnery school – peep through the reticle and keep your target behind the card for ‘acurate’ fire as we shake and move your cupola.

calibration mount I would think.