Unknown airfield; defensive position

I think the picture is staged.

Been away for a week or so - just seen this pic.

Very interesting - odd Lewis guns, unusual flash eliminators, unusual anti-aircraft sight, unusual blocks under the guns. I may be wrong, but didn't BSA attempt to produce a .5inch Lewis? (Will check references). If so maybe this is a (without doubt staged) trial of said heavier calibre weapons?

The troops in the background - are they wearing British helmets / uniform?

And yeah - just what is holding up the guns!!

The caption for this photograph (contained in the collections of the Library of Congress) is:

"Reciprocal aid. American and British air forces work together in defense of a British airfield. A member of the Royal Air Force handles the anti-aircraft gun in the foreground with American fighting forces shown in the rear. Many airfields and much British equipment have been provided for American air forces under the British Reciprocal Aid Program"

Ah now that expalins the springfield rifles, and looking closely I can see that the trrops in the background appear to be wearing American helmets.

I think those are German machine guns probabaly taken from an aircraft thats been shot down.

They do look like MG 42's on a home made mounting (United States Navy?). That ammo feed is a work of art and, I suspect, quiet unreliable.

TommyUSA wrote:

From the US Library of Congress. Unknown airfield defensive position:

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They are Lewis guns. This is an anti aircraft mounting, there is a frame which the gunner enters by sliding up from underneath, the frame goes beneath the gunners arms and there is a small backrest which the gunner leans back against. The frame is counterbalanced so that the gunner can manoeuvre the gun without too much effort.

philbasildon wrote:

TommyUSA wrote:

From the US Library of Congress. Unknown airfield defensive position:

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They are Lewis guns.

Yes as Swindertim said in an earlier post, undeniably Lewis but with some unusual additions.
Also people often expect to see the "trademark" air cooling barrel shroud that earlier weapons always had - this was apparently later found to be unnecessary in normal use.

Interestingly the Lewis lives on in the action found in the M60, which was borrowed from the German MG42/FG42, originally based on the Lewis design!

The Germans in WW1 prefered captured Lewis guns and even manufactured ammunition for them. There was a water cooled version, it looks like it could be that type or it could be some sort of hydraulic system to help manouver the weapon or to absorb recoil.