POLICE are unable to confirm if a World War I machine gun, stolen from a memorial hall at Wallendbeen, is still functional.
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The German Maxim machine gun was noticed missing from the town's memorial hall on Tuesday.
Cootamundra police believe the gun has been displayed inside the King Street hall since April 1922.
Duty officer Inspector Frank Brown said police had been told the gun was seized in Belgium in October 1917 - during World War I - and presented to the Wallendbeen community five years later.
“It’s been there for more than 90 years and was mounted on a wall 10 metres from the ground, which means it would have been difficult to remove," Inspector Brown said.
“Since it was reported missing on Tuesday, the scene has been examined by a scene of crime officer and an extensive canvass of the area has been conducted by detectives.
“Due to the circumstances and lapse of time since its donation in 1922, police are unable to confirm that the weapon was no longer functional; however, advice received indicates that this is highly likely."
Anyone with information about the gun should contact Cootamundra police on 6942 0099.
