English: War Memorial, Portsmouth, Hampshire I must have walked past this memorial many times during my brief period as a student in 1973/4, but either did not notice it, or, more likely, did not realise the significance. This memorial is on a plinth to the left of the main memorial, and depicts a soldier firing a Lewis machine gun.

My grandfather was a Lewis Gunner during WW1. During training late in 1914, soldiers were tested to see whether they had the aptitude to be a machine gunner. Guns had to be fired whilst moving the point of aim horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. My grandfather was good throughout, was trained, and in France from early 1915 until invalided out late in 1917.

Each infantry battalion had 4 Lewis Gunners, but to increase firepower to 8, Lewis Gunners were "borrowed" from other battalions. As a result, the Lewis Gunners spent double the amount of days in the front line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun