I've read in a WWI squaddies memoirs ("Her Privates We" by Frederic Manning?) that he and his colleagues removed the "LG" badges from their sleeves and dirtied the resulting clean patch of cloth because of the rumour that Lewis Gunners were shot rather than taken prisoner.
"The Last Tommy" - I saw an interview with Harry Patch, he stated that as the war progressed he would fire at the enemy's legs rather than shoot to kill them. Presumably he wasn't the No. 1 on the Lewis Gun at the time but a different "No." of the LG party (I was taught to aim low with a MG - lessens the risk of firing too high, get the legs and the rest of the man drops into your fire. I turned battalions of banzai charging Figure 11 targets into paper collanders).
Then there were the tales of dead German gunners being found roped or chained to their MGs so that they couldn't retreat.
I've always taken it that the ropes, straps, chains used to drag the guns were mistaken for restraints.
Last edited by leigh kitchen; 14-09-18 at 11:51 AM.
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