The Vickers was developed from the Maxim gun that was in British service from June 1889 and was used in the colonial expansion and imperial actions across the British Empire. First noted for its effectiveness in the Battle of the Shangani during the First Matabele War in 1893, it was again pivotal during the Chitral campaign in India in 1895.
One of the units involved was a detachment from 1 Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, including their Maxim gun. One of the eight men of the Maxim detachment was Private Mark Dymond (Regimental number 2658).
