Maxim MG08/15 Light Machine Gun : 20 Battalion AIF, Mont St Quentin

German Maxim MG08/15 Light Machine Gun. The MG 08/15 Maxim light machine gun is a short recoil operated, water cooled, full automatic, belt fed weapon. The operating system uses a two part toggle lock connected by a hinge which is located between the breech block and a barrel extension. The entire barrel extension and breech block recoil inside receiver against the tension of a spring located under the separate cover outside of the left receiver wall. The cocking handle is located on the rear axis of the toggle lock and serves as both an unlocking member and a breech block accelerator. The feed system use non disintegrating belts made from cloth or tarpaulin with metallic alignment struts. Ammunition feed is from the right side. The weapon is usually mounted on a metal bipod. The top cover plate is engraved with the serial number over S&H BERLIN 1917. There is a brass plate on the barrel water jacket stamped 'GERMAN LIGHT MACHINE GUN CAPTURED AND CLAIMED BY 20TH AUST INF BATTALION MT ST QUENTIN ON THE SOMME FRANCE 31.8.18'. The gun has a feed block and a bipod but the right hand side fusee spring, fusee cover are missing.

The MG08 Maxim machine gun is a short recoil operated, water cooled, full automatic, belt fed weapon. This is a lightened version of the MG08, known as the MG08/15. The MG08/15 machine gun is a lightened version of the MG08 machine gun while retaining essentially the same operating principles of other Maxim types. It was designed to provide greater mobility and to be handled by one man if necessary. The receiver was trimmed down, and a rather solid, awkward bipod was fitted. Water cooling was retained on most of these guns, though an air cooled version was also produced for aircraft. The guns were still operational as second line equipment in 1936 during the establishment of the pre Second World War German Army.

Popularly refered to by Australian soldiers as 'Spadaus' (after the location in Berlin where the majority of them were made, and this name being prominently marked on top of the weapon) they were encountered by Australian Imperial Force troops from the very first engagements on the Western Front in July 1916 until the very end of AIF operations in October 1918.

This particular weapon was captured by the New South Wales raised 20th Battalion at Mont St Quentin on 31 August 1918. A popular diorama installed in the Western Front galleries of the Australian War Memorial is a diorama featuring this highly significant battle. In the foreground of this diorama, soldiers of the 20th Battalion are featured along with several captured MG08 and MG08/15 machine guns.

• Maxim MG08/15 Light Machine Gun Lock: 20 Battalion AIF, Mont St Quentin