Hi All, another Andys Rubbish and Ramblings to endure, this time its a Maxim gun, and a bit of background about the person that mad this his souvenir . Many people will tell you as a collector, buy the item, not the story. That doesn’t cut it for me, I like the back story and preserve the history of anything I can, this one is special for me because of the Kiwi connection.
Here is an interesting item that is currently in my possession. Its interesting (at least to me)for a number of reasons, Its a Maxim variant, its Imperial German, it was a Kiwi Soldiers personal war trophy, and you would likely go a long way to find another.
The item in question was the souvenir of Acting Sergeant John Greenwood Tennent 7/522, which is interesting in its self, John Tennent, who had a next of kin address listed as Wanganui , whom before enlistment was working as a Mechanic in the Kisselton area, lake Coleridge in the South Island High Country. 28 year old John who enlisted on the 25th of August at Addington (Christchurch) left New Zealand with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles and would have set off with the New Zealand Division aboard NZ transport No4 on the 15/10/1914, arriving at Alexandria, Egypt 3/12/14. Usually NZ service records for many of the N.Z.E.F. state service in the Dardanelles, as many of the Kiwi “ANZAC”boys did indeed serve in the Galipolli Campaign. At this stage it seems John served in Egypt and Palestine. Due to his mechanical skills, John was attached to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) between 7th of May 1915 and March 18th 1917.
So typical of many men at the time, there were numerous issues with being paid correctly and receiving appropriate allowances, John was no exception. In a letter from John to the Paymaster, NZ Mounted Rifles, Hydra, Cairo 25/06/1917, he states, I was attached to “C” flight Squadron 30, R.F.C on or about May 7th 1915, being taken on probation during the first fortnight. I was posted in Camp orders as being taken on the strength of “C” flight squadron, 30. Then stationed at Ismallia, Egypt as a “fitter”.
From May until December I was at Ismallia and then I want to join the remainder of Squadron 30 in Mesopotamia, with the consent of the General in commend of Cairo Military District and also the consent of the C.O. Canal defences.
I was taken on the strength of Aircraft Park, Taninah Bussara (?), Mesopotamia on January 3rd 1916, and worked both there and with the Squadron at the advance base until January 27th 1917, when I was returned with a party of details to Egypt . Having reported and handed over these details at Aboukir, Alexandria, I received orders to report to N.Z.H.Q Cairo, which I did on March 12th 1917.
On May 24th 1916, I was given the rank of Acting Sergent and placed in charge of the Mechanical Workshops at Aircraft Park, Bussara, and was in charge of that Department for 5 months.
Though promised time after time I should receive extra pay, I have received nothing but my pay as a “Trooper”, up to date, and owing to conditions in Mesopotamia etc. I had to supplement my pay considerably.
Trusting this letter will receive attention
I am your obedient Servant,
J.G Tennent A/Sergt C.M.R. N.Z.M.R
This must have stirred things up a little as another letter in his records is from the NZ Records Section, H.Q, N.Z.E.F., 3rd Echelon, Cairo, confirming RFC service from March 1917, again a reflection of the difficulty with poor record keeping at the time.
Of note, John was Discharged from the N.Z.E.F for a temporary commission in the R.F.C as a 2nd Lieutenant, 19/9/17. He Served with the R.F.C/R.A.F until discharge, 11/11/18
Somewhere during his service John came into possession of a Parabellum lMG 1914, or Maschinengewher 14, the second variant of this reengineered Maxim. Being the lightest Maxim gun derivative, at around 11kg, compared with the 18kg plus MG08. Karl Heinemann is credited for early redesign work on of these Maxims, further developed by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik (D.W.M.). Rate of fire was around 700 RPM, which is fairly brisk for a Maxim gun.
The original model (water cooled) was intended for use in Zeppelins, as the water colony barrel was deemed to be safer where hydrogen was present.
The 2nd model (as pictured) with a slotted casing for air cooling generated a considerable amount of heat which wasn’t a good combination when fitted to an airship…
A lot of people refer to these guns as a L.M.G 14 , Light Machine Gun, the L is actually lower case and represents luftgekuhlte or air-cooled.
The lMG14 was fed via a narrow cloth belt without the brass dividers of the MG08 and 08/15.
further technical developments around synchronisation of fire had the lMG 14 fitted as the first MG to be used operationally on an aircraft with a firing synchroniser, firing between propellor blades of a Fokker M5K monoplane, of Fokker E1. lMG 14 also found its way onto aircraft where it was employed an an observers gun in twin seater aircraft.
The MG08 and 08/15 found there way onto aircraft and were found to be a more popular choice due to parts interchangeability. It the later stages of the war some of the water cooled Parabellum guns found their way into the hands of the infantry.
These are a very interesting and historical Maxim, the fit and finish on this example is absolutely superb, it is truly a work of art. Where John picked the gun up is unknown, Im sure being so well made it would have been an attractive souvenir for someone with a mechanical background. No doubt it was stuffed into his kit bag for the long journey back t New Zealand.
John retained his Maxim right up until the 1960’s where it was passed onto a collector that again sold it in 1974, it has remained in one collection since this time and has only recently come to light as part of the previous owners estate. It is indeed a thing of beauty.
