A Periscope Rifle is a rifle that has been adapted to enable it to be sighted by the use
Sergeant William Beech With a Periscope Rifle.
of a periscope. This enables the firer to remain concealed below cover. Similar devices were also built for use with machine guns. A form of periscope rifle was invented by Sergeant William Beech. Beech, who worked as a builder's foreman in civilian life, modified a standard Lee-Enfield, by cutting the stock in half. The two halves were re-connected with a board and mirror periscope, horizontally aligned to the sights of the rifle, as well as a string to pull the trigger, which allowed the rifle to be fired from beneath the line of fire.