A sergeant of the New Zealand Armed Forces, takes a break and enjoys his pipe. Note the entrenching tool, the worn shoes, and his classic Lee Enfield rifle.
A Lee Enfield SMLE ( short magazine lee enfield ) No.1 mk.3. Lovingly nicknamed " Old Smelly " by the troops.
When I first read about this rifle, I wondered how many rounds the Long Magazine version held until I learned that the word "Short" referred to the length of the barrel, not the magazine! Whilst the magazine was removable, this was seldom done in service because the ammunition was issued in 5-round clips which could be inserted from above to top up the magazine which was quicker than changing over a full magazine. Individual rounds could also be inserted in the same way so the British & Commonwealth troops had full magazines more often than their German opponents or their US allies.