The puzzle of Sir Frederick Eckstein's tomb

I drove over to the village of Fairwarp this morning with the aim of photographing the James Powell & Sons stained glass windows in the church only to discover that it was locked. However in the churchyard I came across the stone sarcophagus of Sir Frederick Eckstein (1857-1930). The corners have bronze angels with wings unfurled and there are two bronze reliefs to the sides. On one side is a bronze relief depicting Sudanese plantation workers picking cotton. This makes sense to me as Eckstein was knighted for his services to the 'inhabitants and Government of the Sudan'.

The north side relief is said to be of a man 'firing a machine gun in a scene from WWI'. Is it really? Doesn't look like it to me - where's the ammunition belt? why is the barrel pointing downwards? why is the man not in uniform? why is there only one man? why is his foot up on the handle? and so forth ..... Eckstein (who was German born) was known for pioneering the development of South African gold mines and it seems to me that the relief is actually a mining scene.

Having failed at Fairwarp I dropped into St Bartholomew's Church in nearby Maresfield and spent a while photographing the spectacular east window which just happens to be another James Powell & Sons window that I hadn't photographed before.