British Forces

British Infantry

Men from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment keeping watch in a trench at Rumegies, 22 January 1940. Taken by Lieutenant Davies and Lieutenant Kessell. Every soldier in this image is armed with a SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) Mk III. This was the fastest firing bolt action rifle of both World War I and World War II. When German soldiers were first assaulted with them in WWI they thought they were being attacked with portable machine guns. British soldiers were trained to fire the “mad-minute,” a volley of 20-30 aimed shots in one minute, many more than any other bolt action rifle at the time. Note also the leather jerkins. These were first introduced in 1916 and aimed to keep soldiers warm when worn over the battle dress uniform. They were very popular among British infantrymen. This photo was taken during a time known as the phoney war, a period in which little combat was seen in late 1939 and early 1940. This was because of the British and French army’s lack of will to attack the German position, and a German army unprepared to attack as much of their forces were still in Poland.