| Place | Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Anzac Area (Gallipoli), Quinn's Post Area, Steele's Post |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM00419 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Firearm component |
| Physical description | Steel |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Improvised machine gun flash extinguisher : Steele's Post, Gallipoli
Description
Steel flash extinguisher [suppressor] for a machine gun. It is made from a piece of flat steel rolled to form a cylinder, held together by rivets. There are three shrapnel holes near the rivets. At one end there is an 'L' shape cut out, and across from it has been cut a large square section, with two thinner rectangular sections cut out. At the other end is a thin rectangular section cut out of the item, which is slightly misshapen.
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History / Summary
This improvised machine gun flash extinguisher [suppressor] was found in January 1919 by Lieutenant William Hopkin James. James was working on Gallipoli, leading a small party from the Australian War Records Section, taking photographs and collecting items for the national collection.
This flash extinguisher was placed over the barrel of a machine gun - probably a .303 Vickers machine gun. The role of the flash extinguisher is to suppress the brightness of the muzzle flash when firing. This is especially important in low light or night time, so as not to blind the soldier firing the machine gun, and to reduce the brightness so the position is not revealed to the enemy.