# Photographs of Lewis guns on bicycles WW1



## Owen4256 (Mar 9, 2015)

Hello all

I have been researching a number of Divisional Cyclist Companies in WW1 especially the 29th in Gallipoli. They later became part of VIII Corps cyclist battalion which was converted to a Lewis Gun battalion in 1918. I have searched in vain for a photograph of bicycles with Lewis guns mounted,either on the handlebars, or on the frame. I assume the mountings were similar to those approved  for the Hotchkiss in 1917 but I can find no photographic evidence. Can anyone help with this?

Regards

Clive


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## leo healy (Mar 18, 2015)

Hi Owen4256 
saw your post few days ago and meant to get back sooner, had a good look around myself as i was curios but to no joy.what i did find was a lot of purpose built trailers and hand drawn types.

  I know the irish army used a lot of trailers and hand cart s for carrying mgs and mortars and equipment that could also be attached to a bicycle as long as you had a decent road so perhaps because of the weight and  cumbersome size that the trailers were used. and i know never say never with pics in war


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## leo healy (Mar 18, 2015)

half reply is missing get back latter


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## leo healy (Mar 20, 2015)

Ok sorry had to get to work the other day when half me post went missing ,anyways a few pics .
  purpose built lewis trailer,






belgian type transport 


i think the practice of attaching most weapons to the cross bar was the norm, but i guess with the lewis you just had to stick those knees out further. not what you were looking for but HTH.


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## leo healy (Mar 20, 2015)

this pic was


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## Owen4256 (Mar 20, 2015)

Leo

Many thanks for the reply and pictures. Never seen the Lewis cart before so happy with that! I'm sure that it must have been mounted along the lines of your last photo. Will keep digging.

Best regards

Clive


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## Wing Your Heel (Mar 21, 2015)

Are you sure that after VIII Corps cyclist battalion was converted to a Lewis Gun battalion it remained a cyclist battalion? 

Bulky item to carry on a bike. I find it hard enough to ride one with just a rifle and carrier packs fitted! 

By 1918 they had transportation much better organised. Army Service Corps moved supplies into position by trucks, trains, tanks, and supplies were dropped by parachute. 

Trailers pulled by motorcycle, horse, donkey, dogs or manhandled much more practical. Hard work towing a loaded trailer with a bicycle on anything but good road without hills.

Pushing a loaded bicycle was useful weapons transport in certain conditions, so i can see why machine gun mounts were made, but how much were they used? Machine gun ideal in trenches, but cyclists were usually recce, sentries, point duty, messengers or snipers, so rifle preferable. Your comments appreciated


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## Owen4256 (Mar 21, 2015)

References in war diaries confirm they were equipped with 36 Lewis guns , one per cyclist section.When cycle mounted, the No 1 carried the gun, No 2 the spare barrel and toolkit and the rest of the section humped the spare magazines on panniers on the rear carrier. Each carrier held 6x47 round drum magazines. The 60th Divisional Company described their Lewis No 1's as " condemned to a bandy legged existence" . "the Lousier War" which is the war time journal of Bill Tucker ,a Lewis No 1 with XI Corps Cyclists, describes them being rushed into the line at LaCouture on 11th April 1918 "we stacked our cycles in front of a devastated farm after removing from them our packs, our Lewis Guns and whatever ammunition we had not left behind" . The Table of Equipment provided an additional GS wagon for the spare ammo when the issue per battalion was raised from 12 to 36 in 1918. Several documentary references to Cyclist Battalions equipped with 36 Lewis guns cycle mounted, including the Canadian and NZ battalions. Just  no photographic evidence!
Regards
Clive


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## Owen4256 (Jun 16, 2020)

Well, it took me a while. Still the only one I have found. XVI Corps Cyclist Battalion in Salonika with a Lewis Gun mounted for carrying on the frame.

Regards

Clive


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