Parabellum MG14/17 Aircraft Machine Gun

Parabellum Model 1914/17 Aircraft Machine Gun with a rectangular box section action and an air cooled barrel that has a slotted sheet steel cover jacket. A fixed handle is attached to the barrel jacket and there is a post sight fitted at the muzzle. It has a feed block and an exterior rod on the right side of the barrel. The receiver is marked on the left side S-M- GEW-MOD. PARABELLUM 1913 and BERLIN with DWM over 1917 on the top cover plate. The pistol grip with wood side plates is offset to the right and the butt is wood. It does not have the lock mechanism or the optical sight and one of the back plate securing pins is missing.

This gun was souvenired from German Halberstadt CL II 15342/17, Schlasta 13, by Lieutenant Roderick Charles Armstrong and 4092 Lieutenant Frank Jelly Mart on 9 June 1918. Armstrong and Mart from No 3 Squadron AFC were flying RE8 D4689 when they intercepted the Halberstadt over Querrieu. They forced the two German aviators, Gefreiter Kuesler and Vizefeldwebel Mullenbach to land at the 3 Squadron aerodrome at Villers Bocage where the latter were taken prisoner and the aircraft ultimately delivered to England for evaluation purposes.

Armstrong was born in Footscray Victoria in 1894 and was an engineer on enlistment in 21 Battalion on 9 July 1915. He had previously served in both the Senior Cadets and the Citizen Military Forces.

Having embarked for the Middle East on 29 December aboard HMAT Demosthenes Armstrong transferred to 60 Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 26 February 1916. Disembarking at Marseilles on 29 June he served with that unit on the Western Front until April 1917 when he was posted to 15 Training Battalion. Armstrong was selected for flying training in June.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant on 5 January 1918 and then attending the Artillery and Infantry Cooperation School at Winchester, Armstrong joined No 3 Squadron AFC on 8 May and was promoted lieutenant the same month.

After capturing Halberstadt CL II 15342/17 on 9 June, Armstrong was involved in morning contact patrols on 4 July and 9 August. Armstrong's gallantry in the latter attack was recognised with a recommendation for the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was gazetted on 2 November. His citation reads: 'On August 9th, 1918, he went out at a low altitude to make a reconnaissance of the VAUVILLERS area. After calling for flares from our Infantry five times within two hours, which, however, they were unable to light as they had used up all their supply previously, he descended to an even lower altitude, and eventually completed, by actual recognition of our troops, an accurate and detailed reconnaissance of the area required, notwithstanding the fact that he was under intense machine gun fire the while. Finally he was compelled to land owing to lack of petrol. His gallantry is of the highest order.'

Following a month's leave in England through August/September, Armstrong was hospitalised in England with flying sickness (a form of motion sickness) in late September and was on convalescent leave when the war ended on 11 November. He returned to Australia aboard HMAT Wahehe on 10 May 1919, arriving in Victoria on 28 June. He was discharged from active service on 20 August.


Frank Jelly Mart was born at Semaphore South Australia in 1889 and was a station overseer on enlistment in the AIF on 9 December 1915.
Previously serving as a volunteer naval cadet, he was posted to B Company 2nd Depot Battalion, then to the 16/10th Infantry at Morphettville from 1 January 1916 to 28 August. Embarking then for overseas service, he was posted to the Australian Tunnelling Company on the Western Front, but was attached to the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company from 26 October.

Hospitalised on 11 December with severe burns to his hands, Mart was evacuated to Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich on 29 December. After recuperation, he was attached to 29 Training Squadron AFC until 15 June 1917, qualifying as an air mechanic 2nd class. Mart then qualified as an observer and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant on 13 September. He attended the Artillery and Infantry Co-operation School at Winchester before joining 3 Squadron AFC in France on 6 March 1918.

After capturing Halberstadt CL II 15342/17 on 9 June, Mart continued operational flying as an observer until 26 August when he was admitted to 14 General Hospital, Wimereux suffering flying sickness and was evacuated to England on 30 August. Following several administrative postings, Mart embarked for Australia on 7 March 1919 and was struck of strength on 10 June.