Bombs - Guns - Weapons

Jan. 01, 1968 - The Passing of a Gun/: The passing of the.303 inch Vickers medium machine gun after 55 years with the British Army is being marked by a ceremony this evening in the Vickers Ltd. headquarters at Millbank Tower. Now that the last guns have been withdrawn from service the Director of Infantry, Major General Peter Young, is going to present one of them to the directors of Vickers on behalf of the infantry. This particular gun dates from 1944 and came up by road from the School of Infantry at Warminster, where it has been given an overhaul. The Vickers first came into service in 1912 an was the infantry's backbone during both World Wars. Parachute battalions of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve have only just relinquished it and several overseas armies are still equipped with it. Its role in the British Army has now been taken over by the General Purpose Machine Gun. Experts regards it as one of the best weapons ever produced. They point to its ability to provide accurate long range fire which can be sustained indefinitely by its water cooling system. An experiment once proved that it could be fired continuously for seven days and nights before breaking down. Photo shows Sir Lesli Roman (left) Chairman of Vickers, looks on as Major General Peter Young looks down the sights of the Vickers, in Millbank Tower this afternoon

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

Ability Accurate Backbone Battalions Behalf Continuously Cooling Dates Equipped Experts Fired Inch Indefinitely Lesli Millbank Overhaul Parachute Particular Proved Provide Purpose Regards Relinquished Sights Sustained Territorial Volunteer Warminster Withdrawn

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > KEY