Men of 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) examining a captured North Korean machine gun, 1950

Photograph, Korean War (1950-1953), 1950.

The machine gun was captured by 'D' Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), during their advance from the Pusan bridgehead in September 1950. Produced in vast numbers during World War Two, these weapons were sent to many of the USSR's allies including China and North Korea after 1945. Simple, robust and effective, the Maxim was used throughout the Korean War. Most Maxims are found with the 'Sokolov' mount, two wheels and a large turntable that allowed the gun to be moved and deployed quickly.

From an album of 195 photographs. 40 to 50 were taken by Second Lieutenant J M Lock, 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, before he was killed in action on 29 November 1950; many of the remainder were added by Lieutenant (later Major) Geoffrey Norton.