Suda Bay, Crete, November 1940. A Lewis gun anti aircraft position overlooks Suda Bay where British warships lie at anchor. The 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment disembarked from HMS Ajax at Suda Bay on the 1st November, 1940.
Earlier in the war: Morale steady as London Blitz continues
Later in the war: The second sinking of U-31
The tracer-bullets from our Oerlikons were rushing at the yellow belly of the Junker 88 as he swooped over us. A loud squeal, growing louder and louder, and then the explosion, as a stick of bombs landed between us and the destroyer, on the port side. Three pillars of water went high up in the air, and the ship shook.
It’s apparently useless for them to point out that the R.A.F. is regularly battering Germany’s production bases, that the steady stream of British war material to Russia continues at considerable sacrifice to this country, and that Britain is already fighting on three fronts – the Pacific, the Middle East, and the Atlantic.
The Heinkel banked steeply over to the left and came running back at us, the gunners firing broadsides as they flashed past only a hundred yards away on the beam. John had the Beaufighter already staggering around after them, the force of the turn pressing me down outrageously into my seat.
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@Richard North; Thanks – have now amended the caption.
Others have commented on the spelling of Suda Bay, modern spelling being Souda Bay but I have kept with the version used by British military during the war.
Doesn’t look much like a Bren Gun to me. Looks more like a Lewis Gun.