I’m trying to identify what type of Lewis gun this is, on the 22 Squadron Bristol Fighter at Hendon. It appears to be a Mk 2 but with an extended barrel at the front, possibly with a square section for it to rest on the improvised forward firing mount? The same type appears in photos of 22 Squadron, both on the front mounting and also on the Scarff ring. If anyone has any other photos and/or drawings etc of this type they would be much appreciated.
Cheers, Rob
By: Rlangham - 11th April 2009 at 23:34
John, I think i’ve figured out the mystery behind the Bristol’s Lewis and why it has the Norman Vane sight. A photo in the book ‘Pi in the Sky’ which shows the top Lewis installation (and is probably what the museum’s example was based on) has it with the Norman Vane sight. Presuming it’s not easily removeable, it would still be there as Lewis’s with the forward muzzle clip were used on the Scarff ring too, although they didn’t need them, with the Norman Vane sight and the large aiming ring.
This means that the Lewis’s would have been interchangeable with either the Scarff ring or the top Lewis installation (which at least two other 22 Sqn Bristol’s had), which of course makes sense because if you go to the armoury and they didn’t have a Lewis available without the Norman Vane/forward clip, you could be stuck without a Lewis!
By: G-ASEA - 9th April 2009 at 07:07
I have the book ‘Early Aircraft Armament’, plus some old Lewis plans from ‘Scale Models’ and some where i have a manual on the .30 Lewis.
Dave
By: John Aeroclub - 8th April 2009 at 22:58
The book and letters were on loan to me and I returned them some years ago.
The Savage handbook has two names of two former owners on the title page a Cpl E V Maynard and an AM Flint 1 Sqn, St Omer.
John
By: Rlangham - 8th April 2009 at 21:47
Thanks for that, would you be able to scan them or copy them when you get the book and letters back? I’d be very interested in seeing them.
Interesting about the Savage – the rear gun on Hendon’s Bristol is a Savage, thought it looked weird until I got up close to it
By: John Aeroclub - 8th April 2009 at 21:27
I had the book on loan, but there were also some original letters from W/c Harvey as well, so the comment might have been in those. I can’t remember now. I used the Harvey letters when I produced my 1/48 scale kit of the F2B. I do have an original Savage Lewis handbook (the RFC used a lot of these 30 cal weapons).
John
By: Rlangham - 8th April 2009 at 19:44
Thanks John, i’ll have to look out for that book, although have a feeling I already have it back in Leeds. Don’t recall seeing the bit about removing the Lewis guns, they seem to have been very useful and the top Lewis even gets a line in one of the 22 Squadron songs
By: John Aeroclub - 8th April 2009 at 09:42
The gun is a Mk.2 Lewis with the light gas tube protector and rather oddly it is fitted with the barrel extension for the Norman vane sights which in the role shown would have been totally pointless as they couldn’t be used. The forwards muzzle clip appears to be a standard Foster mount item.
If I recall correctly Harvey said that although the guns were fitted they were quickly removed as heavy and useless. Apparently the WT generator on the wing of the RAFM example was also only fitted when neccesary.
There are drawings in Harry Woodmans excellent book Early Aircraft Armament of the various Lewis installations.
John
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April 7, 2009 at 11:55 pm