WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

A Stunning British Welsh Guards Officer's Dress Tunic. Of Finest Quality Tailoring Fit For The Prince of Wales, Former Colonel of The Regiment of the Welsh Guards, {Now H.M. King Charles IIIrd, Colonel in Chief of the Welsh Guards}

In superb condition for age, finest bespoke tailored during the reign of Her Late Beloved Majesty, Queen Elizabeth IInd.

With full traditional gold bullion. Large size. When this fabulous tunic was originally tailored it was for an officer serving under the present king, when he was Colonel of the Regiment, H.R.H, the Prince of Wales. The Colonel of the regiment is now the current Prince of Wales, H.R.H. Prince William. His wife, H.R.H. Catherine, The Princess of Wales, is now Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards.

Photographed here with associated British officer's full dress scarlet and silver bullion belt, this belt is not included with tunic, it can be sold separately.

The Welsh Guards came into existence on February 26, 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order to raise the regiment had been given by the King to Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, on February 6 1915." They were the last of the Guards to be created, with the Irish Guards coming into being in 1900. Just two days later, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards mounted its first King's Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 March, 1915 - St David's Day.One way to distinguish between the regiments of Foot Guards is the spacing of buttons on the tunic. The Welsh Guards have buttons arranged in groups of five.

On March 17, 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France to join the Guards Division to commence its participation in the First World War. Its first battle was some months after its initial arrival, at Loos on September 27, 1915. The regiment's first Victoria Cross came two years later in July 1917 awarded to Sergeant Robert Bye.The regiment was increased to three Battalions during the Second World War. The 1st Battalion fought valiantly in all the campaigns of the North-West European Theatre. The 2nd Battalion fought in Boulogne in 1940 whilst the 1st fought in Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force. In May 1940 at the Battle of Arras, the Welsh Guards gained their second Victoria Cross by Lieutenant The Hon. Christopher Furness who was killed in the action. The Welsh Guards were subsequently part of the legendary Evacuation of Dunkirk that saw over 340,000 British and French troops return to the UK against all odds. In 1943 the 3rd Battalion fought throughout the arduous Tunisian North African Campaign and Italian Campaigns.
Welsh Guards in action near Cagny 19 July 1944

While they battled on in those theatres the 1st and 2nd joined the Guards Armoured Division, with the 1st Battalion being infantry and the 2nd armoured. The two battalions worked closely, being the first troops to re-enter Brussels on September 3, 1944 after an advance of 100 miles in one day in what was described as 'an armoured lash unequalled for speed in this or any other war'. Very good condition.


Photo of HRH Prince of Wales by Carfax2 - Own work
Prince Charles in the uniform of Colonel of the Welsh Guard, Trooping the Colour, June 2012
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  read more

Code: 19022

1929 Graf Zeppelin Round the World, Meissen Medal. Beaded Rim in Caramel Brown Bisque Porcelain with Gold Edge

From a small collection of most rare Meissen porcelain medals of the Graf Zeppelin round the world flight. three different variations of the same medal. Perfect for either early aviation and airship collectors, rare medal collectors, or collectors of finest German porcelain from the Weimar period

1929 GERMANY. 1929 Graf Zeppelin World Flight Medal. Red Porcelain, 50.7mm. Mint condition.
Obv. Airship over Eastern
Hemisphere globe, GRAF ZEPPELIN WELT
RUNDFLUG . Rev. Airship over Western Hemisphere globe, FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. TOKIO. LOS ANGELES. LAKEHURST . A classic Zeppelin
issue made by the State Porcelain Factory of Meissen, mintmark crossed swords, Kurschwertern . MEISSEN TABLE MEDAL - GRAF ZEPPELIN "AROUND THE WORLD VOYAGE" - 1929. Meissen was one of the premier makers of tableware and porcelain items in Imperial Germany. The firm is hundreds of years old, and has survived to this day. A large-format table medal that salutes the Graf Zeppelin?s (LZ-127) "Around the World Tour." The tour began in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where the Graf Zeppelin was built, and continued on to Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Lakehurst, NJ (where her sister ship, the Hindenburg, exploded in May 1937) before returning to Germany. It measures 2" in diameter and is chocolate brown. It shows hallmarking for Meissen on both sides.In 1929, the Graf Zeppelin, LZ-127, made a world flight, stopping at Friedrichshafen, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. Although the Graf was not the first aircraft to circle the globe, it took only 21 days, 7 hours, 34 minutes, a new record for round-the-world travel by any means. Furthermore, it carried a full passenger load over much previously uncharted land.

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.
Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way.  read more

Code: 25122

1929 Graf Zeppelin Round the World, White Bisque Porcelain Meissen Medal 1929

From a small collection of most rare Meissen porcelain medals of the Graf Zeppelin round the world flight. three different variations of the same medal. Perfect for either early aviation and airship collectors, rare medal collectors, or collectors of finest German porcelain from the Weimar period

This rare medal was made by the famous Meissen factory in Germany to commemorate the first circumnavigation of the world by an airship, the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ in August 1929. Designed by Ludwig Durr but conceived and operated by Dr Hugo Eckener, Chairman of the German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the rigid airship was built at their works at Friedrichshafen between 1926 and 1928 and was intended to demonstrate the viability of intercontinental commercial air travel. It was the largest airship in the world at that time.

Co-sponsored by the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the round the world flight took off from Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, on 8 August heading east with Eckener in command. As well as the crew there were 20 passengers on board and four Hearst staff including the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins, a cameraman and a British reporter, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air. Having refuelled at Friedrichshafen the flight continued across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union to Tokyo, then on to California, landing at Los Angeles to complete the first ever nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. The final leg from Los Angeles to Lakehurst ended on 29 August, three weeks after the airship had departed. Actual flying time was 12 days, 12 hours, and 13 minutes, the fastest circumnavigation of the globe at the time.

The company then used the airship on its transatlantic service and for 5 years provided a commercial passenger and mail service between Germany and Brazil. ‘Graf Zeppelin’ made 590 flights totalling almost 1.7 million kilometres and was the first aircraft to fly over a million miles. It flew a total of 17,177 hours (nearly two years), without injuring a passenger or crewman. It was operated by a crew of 36, and could carry 24 passengers, who were treated to 3 hot meals a day with fine wines in the dining room and entertainment on board. The operational spaces, common areas, and passenger sleeping cabins were built into a gondola structure beneath the airframe.

Eckener had been outspoken in his dislike of the Nazi Party so that when they took power in 1933 he was replaced by his former colleague Lehmann and the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ was commandeered for a new airline. The Nazis used the airship as a propaganda tool until it was withdrawn from service after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. The airship was scrapped and the metal airframes melted down for military aircraft production in 1940 - a dismal end for the most successful airship of all time, about which Lady Drummond-Hay had written:

“The Graf Zeppelin is a ship with a soul. You have only to fly in it to know that it's a living, vibrant, sensitive and magnificent thing”

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.
Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way  read more

Code: 25121

1929 Graf Zeppelin Round the World, White Bisque Porcelain Meissen Medal 1929. Flat Rimmed, with Silvered Zeppellin

From a small collection of most rare Meissen porcelain medals of the Graf Zeppelin round the world flight. three different variations of the same medal. Perfect for either early aviation and airship collectors, rare medal collectors, or collectors of finest German porcelain from the Weimar period.

The photos show the medal as somewhat grey porcelain, because, although it is brilliant white in reality, we have to darken it in the gallery in order to photograph its detail. See photo 6 in the gallery showing its more accurate whiteness, but no detail can be seen.

This rare medal was made by the famous Meissen factory in Germany to commemorate the first circumnavigation of the world by an airship, the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ in August 1929. Designed by Ludwig Durr but conceived and operated by Dr Hugo Eckener, Chairman of the German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the rigid airship was built at their works at Friedrichshafen between 1926 and 1928 and was intended to demonstrate the viability of intercontinental commercial air travel. It was the largest airship in the world at that time.

Co-sponsored by the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the round the world flight took off from Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, on 8 August heading east with Eckener in command. As well as the crew there were 20 passengers on board and four Hearst staff including the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins, a cameraman and a British reporter, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air. Having refuelled at Friedrichshafen the flight continued across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union to Tokyo, then on to California, landing at Los Angeles to complete the first ever nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. The final leg from Los Angeles to Lakehurst ended on 29 August, three weeks after the airship had departed. Actual flying time was 12 days, 12 hours, and 13 minutes, the fastest circumnavigation of the globe at the time.

The company then used the airship on its transatlantic service and for 5 years provided a commercial passenger and mail service between Germany and Brazil. ‘Graf Zeppelin’ made 590 flights totalling almost 1.7 million kilometres and was the first aircraft to fly over a million miles. It flew a total of 17,177 hours (nearly two years), without injuring a passenger or crewman. It was operated by a crew of 36, and could carry 24 passengers, who were treated to 3 hot meals a day with fine wines in the dining room and entertainment on board. The operational spaces, common areas, and passenger sleeping cabins were built into a gondola structure beneath the airframe.

Eckener had been outspoken in his dislike of the Nazi Party so that when they took power in 1933 he was replaced by his former colleague Lehmann and the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ was commandeered for a new airline. The Nazis used the airship as a propaganda tool until it was withdrawn from service after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. The airship was scrapped and the metal airframes melted down for military aircraft production in 1940 - a dismal end for the most successful airship of all time, about which Lady Drummond-Hay had written:

“The Graf Zeppelin is a ship with a soul. You have only to fly in it to know that it's a living, vibrant, sensitive and magnificent thing”

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.

Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way.  read more

Code: 25120

Germany 1912 Gordon Bennett Zeppelin Airship Flight, 12 Poster Vignette Cinderella Stamps

Original, period vignette for 1912 Gordon Bennett air show with pioneering German Zeppelin before WWI. Size 1.5 x 2 inches Gum: MH {Mint Hinged} Photographed against a card background, but all the stamps are gummed and separate.

Very rare to get large number sets. Two sets of x 12, we have 24 but we have split them for sale into 2 sets of 12.

The 1914 Cazin and Rochas catalog claims they were printed in nine colours of ink on nine different papers

The Gordon Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world's oldest gas balloon race, and is "regarded as the premier event of world balloon racing" according to the Los Angeles Times. Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald newspaper. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest "is simple: to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." The contest ran from 1906 to 1938, interrupted by World War I and in 1931, but was suspended in 1939 when the hosts, Poland, were invaded at the start of World War II. The event was not resurrected until 1979, when American Tom Heinsheimer, an atmospheric physicist, gained permission from the holders to host the trophy.

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.

Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way  read more

Code: 25113

Germany 1912 Gordon Bennett Zeppelin Airship Flight, 12 Poster Vignette Cinderella Stamps

Original, period vignette for 1912 Gordon Bennett air show with pioneering German Zeppelin before WWI. Size 1.5 x 2 inches Gum: MH {Mint Hinged} Photographed against a card background, but all the stamps are gummed and separate.

Very rare to get large number sets. Two sets of x 12, we have 24 but we have split them for sale into 2 sets of 12.

The 1914 Cazin and Rochas catalog claims they were printed in nine colours of ink on nine different papers

The Gordon Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world's oldest gas balloon race, and is "regarded as the premier event of world balloon racing" according to the Los Angeles Times. Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald newspaper. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest "is simple: to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." The contest ran from 1906 to 1938, interrupted by World War I and in 1931, but was suspended in 1939 when the hosts, Poland, were invaded at the start of World War II. The event was not resurrected until 1979, when American Tom Heinsheimer, an atmospheric physicist, gained permission from the holders to host the trophy.  read more

Code: 25112

A Very Good British WW1, 1915, .455 MKVI Revolver Holster. An Absolute Corker!

The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 1913, but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914, as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began. On 24 May 1915, the large calibre Webley Mk VI .455 {manstopper} was adopted as the standard sidearm for British and Commonwealth troops and remained so for the duration of the First World War, being issued to officers, airmen, naval crews, boarding parties, trench raiders, machine-gun teams, and tank crews. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including a bayonet (made from a converted French Gras bayonet), speedloader devices (the "Prideaux Device" and the Watson design), and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine.

Demand exceeded production, which was already behind as the war began. This forced the British government to buy substitute weapons chambered in .455 Webley from neutral countries. America provided the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model "Hand Ejector" and Colt New Service Revolvers.  read more

Code: 21348

WW2 Circa 1943 Knife Bayonet for M1 Garand Rifle & Model M1, in its Olive Green, US Flaming Grenade Stamped Scabbard

A good WW2 U.S M1 Garand (short version, 10” bladed) Bayonet, in its correct olive green 'flaming Grenade' scabbard. Blade maker marked UC {Utica Cutlery}, and US, and flaming grenade, pommel rear stamped with inspector mark, 'H'

After testing in early 1943, the U.S. Army decided to shorten the M1905 bayonet’s blade to 10 inches (25.4 cm). Production of this new bayonet, designated the M1, began at the five remaining manufacturers by April 1943. Bayonet is produced by UC (Utica Cutlery) Scabbard is the M7 with a metal throat, and was equipped with a wire hook hanger.

This UC manufactured Bayonet is complete with its scabbard and belt hook. Scabberd has green paint a nice WW2 example! General condition is good+.Pommel form: prominently beaked with well-rounded and stepped end housing a shallow T-shaped attachment slot. The locking catch, the end of the internal extension bar, projects through the base of attachment slot. Pommel meets grips in semi-circular curve. (Pommel form identical to that for the Model 1905 sword bayonet, see WEA 113). Grips form: two-piece black plastic, retained by single screw and recessed circular nut. Grips are adorned with fine vertical ribbing, underside rounded and shaped to hand, back flat and straight. Crossguard form: short straight crosspiece retained by two flush-ground rivets. Upper section formed into high full muzzle ring. The crossguard is slotted above and below the hilt, the narrow elongated oval apertures so formed designed to mate with the two hooks located on the upper edge of the scabbard's mouthpiece. On the underside of the tang, immediately behind the guard is a press stud with catch extension projecting through the lower crossguard slot. The catch mates with the scabbard mouthpiece hooks securing the weapon when not in use. The press stud also works the locking catch in attachment slot via internal extension bar. Blade form: single-edged with double-edged spear point, fullered. Fuller stops round. Back, except for false edge, squared off. Finish (all metal parts): blackened.  read more

Code: 25109

A Rare and Very Fine WW1 German Sniper's Scharfschutzengewehr Optical Scope. Some Of The Best & Most Desirable Sniper Scopes Are 20th Century Fine German Examples Such As This

WW1 German Sniper Optical Scope, steel body scope with bracket fittings to the lower section. Top focusing mount is maker marked “Rudiger & Bischoff Braunschweig”. Remains of the blued finish. Optics remain clear. Photo in the gallery of German snipers in WW1 and a cabinet of original snipers kit, including the rifle and sniper site, in the Imperial War Museum. During World War I, snipers appeared as deadly sharpshooters in the trenches. At the start of the war, only Imperial Germany had troops that were issued scoped sniper rifles. Although sharpshooters existed on all sides, the Germans specially equipped some of their soldiers with scoped rifles that could pick off enemy soldiers showing their heads out of their trench. At first the French and British believed such hits to be coincidental hits, until the German scoped rifles were discovered. During World War I, the German army received a reputation for the deadliness and efficiency of its snipers, partly because of the high-quality lenses that German industry could manufacture.

During the First World War, the static movement of trench warfare and a need for protection from snipers created a requirement for loopholes both for discharging firearms and for observation. Often a steel plate was used with a "key hole", which had a rotating piece to cover the loophole when not in use.Imperial German Scharfschutzengewehr (Sharpshooters rifle in German) Model 1898 sniper rifle in 7.92x57 or more commonly known as 8mm Mauser. At the beginning of World War 1 no country had a "sniper program" as we know it today. Germany in 1915 outfitted the most experienced marksmen (typically pre-war game wardens and poachers) with specially selected factory rifles and equiped them with optical hunting sights. These early telescopic sights usually consisted of 2.5x, 3x and 4x power, produced by manufactures like Görtz, Gérard, Oige, Zeiss, Hensoldt, Voigtländer Rudiger & Bischoff and various civilian models from manufacturers like Bock, Busch and Füss. These rifles were standard 1898 Military Model which held exceptionaly high accuracy at the factory. They were fitted with a Model 1898AZ carbine bolt and optic and issued to an individual Soldier (Soldat) instead of a unit. Due to the very high usage of steel armor piercing ammunition the barrels were rapidly erroded and the life span for accuracy was between 1000-2500 rounds, often less, before having to be replaced. Soon the British army began to train their own snipers in specialized sniper schools. Major Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard was given formal permission to begin sniper training in 1915, and founded the First Army School of Sniping, Observation, and Scouting at Linghem in France in 1916. Starting with a first class of only six, in time he was able to lecture to large numbers of soldiers from different Allied nations, proudly proclaiming in a letter that his school was turning out snipers at three times the rate of any such other school in the world.

He also devised a metal-armoured double loophole that would protect the sniper observer from enemy fire. The front loophole was fixed, but the rear was housed in a metal shutter sliding in grooves. Only when the two loopholes were lined up—a one-to-twenty chance—could an enemy shoot between them. Another innovation was the use of a dummy head to find the location of an enemy sniper. The papier-mâché figures were painted to resemble soldiers to draw sniper fire. Some were equipped with rubber surgical tubing so the dummy could "smoke" a cigarette and thus appear realistic. Holes punched in the dummy by enemy sniper bullets then could be used for triangulation purposes to determine the position of the enemy sniper, who could then be attacked with artillery fire. He developed many of the modern techniques in sniping, including the use of spotting scopes and working in pairs, and using Kim's Game to train observational skills. An original complete Imperial German Scharfschutzengewehr (Sharpshooters rifle in German) Model 1898 GEW98 rifle, with its scope, just as this one, can now fetch over $11,000.  read more

Code: 23342

An Original, WW1, German Kaiserliche Marine Vickers-Maxim I Pounder Pom Pom Shell

Imperial Kaiserliche Marine Stamped. A superb fuzed shell head fully stamped and marked. With a 37mm calibre the water-cooled, belt-fed Maxim-Nordenfeldt (among others, with variants produced as Vickers-Maxim and Hotchkiss-Maxim) was the smallest item of artillery used during that war and boasted a firing rate of 60 rounds per minute, utilising a belt of 25 one-pound shells, each shell covering a distance ranging up to 3,000 yards. In World War I, it was used as an early anti-aircraft gun in the home defence of Britain. It was adapted as the Mk I*** and Mk II on high-angle pedestal mountings and deployed along London docks and on rooftops on key buildings in London, others on mobile motor lorries at key towns in the East and Southeast of England. 25 were employed in August 1914, and 50 in February 1916. A Mk II gun (now in the Imperial War Museum, London) on a Naval pedestal mounting was the first to open fire in defence of London during the war. However, the small shell was insufficient to damage the German Zeppelin airships sufficiently to bring them down. The Ministry of Munitions noted in 1922: "The pom-poms were of very little value. There was no shrapnel available for them, and the shell provided for them would not burst on aeroplane fabric but fell back to earth as solid projectiles were of no use except at a much lower elevation than a Zeppelin attacking London was likely to keep"

Nevertheless, Lieutenant O.F.J. Hogg of No. 2 AA Section in III Corps was the first anti-aircraft gunner to shoot down an aircraft, with 75 rounds on 23 September 1914 in France.

The gun was experimentally mounted on aircraft as the lighter 1-pounder Mk III, the cancelled Vickers E.F.B.7 having been specifically designed to carry it in its nose.
Hiram Maxim originally designed the Pom-Pom in the late 1880s as an enlarged version of the Maxim machine gun. Its longer range necessitated exploding projectiles to judge range, which in turn dictated a shell weight of at least 400 grams (0.88 lb), as that was the lightest exploding shell allowed under the St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868 and reaffirmed in the Hague Convention of 1899. Dated 1905. Not suitable for export, empty inert and safe.  read more

Code: 20782