rnixartillery

Tim Unfortunately I dont have a 2 pdr in my collection yet ! I have collected quite a few bits up just in anticipation though. A rare breed on the land carriage but they are out there ! Thank you for the comment about my collection,its only taken me 20 years and still searching.................................. Rob......................rnixartillery.

Andy , That would do me fine,there is a plate up for sale at the moment................B16 GUN............ 12k Though.:wow: Maybe when my lottery numbers come in ! Rob.....................rnixartillery.

Hey, thanks for the pics 25 pounder,does your gun have a muzzle brake fitted ? and a riveted cradle ? You will notice on your plate that it has 'Weir' written in full, these plates were altered in 1941 to just the initials as not to give away the companies full name and location to prevent from German Bombing ! Rob..................rnixartillery.

Its amazing what a bit of Brass can do ! Looking very good chaps. Rob...................rnixartillery.

There would be a gun behind the limber Carriage drawn, and then the ammunition wagon behind the limber wagon drawn. If Ralph reads this he will put us straight,its more his era ! Rob...............rnixartillery.

Tell a lie Tony there is actually an ammuntion limber and an ammunition carriage in the picture,I've just looked in my WWI 18 pdr manual :readbook: and there is three types of ammuntion transport, which are; Limber Carriage Limber Wagon Ammunition Wagon All slightly different. :confused: Rob.....................rnixartillery.

Two 18 pdr limbers ,no gun ! Rob...............rnixartillery.

Your too quick for me Gordon..........................:rotfl: ! The Glorious 12 th. Rob..........................rnixartillery.

Because my mate knows what an obsessive Artillery collectormaniac Nerd I am he has given me the complete carriage as long as promise to complete what I set out to do ! With two years of research behind me its know down to the restoration of Hybrid No2991. Rob....................rnixartillery

There are No known surviving Pheasants ....................................until now ! :-D Rob............................rnixartillery.

And more ! Rob....................rnixartillery.

Tracing the Reg no from the plate back ,the carriage was built around September/October 1942 which corresponds with the months that the "Hybrid" conversions were assembled, What you need to remember is that standard built 25 pdr carriages were used so Weir's used 150 from stock and assembled the 17 pdr ordnance to complete the weapon,there was no designated "Hybrid" carriage plate so the existing 25 pdr plates were 'overstamped' with 17 pr mk 2. I also know that this particular carriage "spent time " at Eskmeals possibly when it was proofed. One more thing I have found out is that when the designated 17 pdr carriages were finaly manufactured in early 1943 over 100 of the "Hybrid" conversions were dismantled and the 17 pdr Ordnance placed onto their correct carriages.less than 50 "Hybrids" went on to fight in Sicily and then Italy. :cool2: Rob......................rnixartillery.

Adrian, Have you heard something through the grape vine ! Rob....................rnixartillery.

OK,time to get down to business ! in 2009 a friend of mine purchased an unrestored 25 pdr carriage,well infact it was everything minus the barrel,ring and recuperator but the cradle was still in place but empty. The carriage had been stood for a very long time and was covered in layers of flaking paint ,although it still had its makers plates still fitted they were not legible due to the thick paint. When the carriage was recovered and the plates cleaned this is what was found. Rob......................rnixartillery.

Just to throw another piece of information into the pot, at the time Eskmeals trials and proof rang facility in Cumbria which belonged to Vickers Armstrong and assisted by the ministry of supply was to be the proof range for trials on the 17 pdr "Hybrid" along with many more of Weirs production. Rob........................rnixartillery

And more !

A paragraph taken from the 1945 print "G & J.WEIR Ltd 1939-1945 The War Years " "1942,It was in this year also that we made a notable contribution to an immediate need.It became known the German "Tiger" tank was unusually heavily armoured,and to provide against this it was decided to design an anti-tank weapon heavier than any yet in service with the British army.This was the famous 17-pounder gun.A number of these had already been produced in the summer of 1942,but carriages were unfortunately not yet available to mount them.With the North African campaign reaching its climax,it was clearly of the greatest value that this splendid new weapon should be bought quickly into operation against the enemy,and our chief Engineer suggested mounting the gun on a 25- pounder carriage as a stop-gap until the proper carriage was available.From War Office approval to the completely successful trial of the first "Hybrid"(as the combination was called ) only ten days elapsed, thereafter we produced 150 of these during the Autumn of 1942,having the pleasure of showing one of these unique weapons to Mrs Roosevelt during her visit in November. The "Hybrid" proved a tactical success, taking part in the later phases of the North African campaign and during the subsequent battles in Sicily and Italy." Weirs were responsible for all 150 gun conversions to mount the 17 pdr ordnance to the 25 pdr carriage known then as the " Hybrid" and later on to the legendary "17 pdr Pheasant". Rob.....................rnixartillery.

The VIP's Rob...........................rnixartillery.

Not quite Redherring !. I have uploaded some images of Weir's production facility in Cathcart ,Glasgow showing production of the 25 pdr's and some interesting VIP's. The King being one and Mrs Roosevelt ,who had been invited to the plant to inspect one particular item. Rob....................rnixartillery

It will all add up in the end ! Rob.....................rnixartillery.

well,just to add another aspect into the equation.In late 1942 The Clyde banks were the staging point for 'operation torch' and the massive export of men and equipment to Gibralter and then on to reinforce the battle for North Africa. Rob......................rnixartillery

G & J Weir came up with quite an innovative and very important solution to a problem, although short term but Nothing to do with the pipeline or water industry ? Rob......................rnixartillery.

Non of these on our shores, except of course the example at Firepower. As they were capable of firing chemical rounds it was decided that they were to be taken out of service and destroyed. I know of one for sale but I could by a 6 and 17 pdr for the same money ......................! Rob.........................rnixartillery.

Richard, Great thought but I think useing the word pipeline in my earlier post was not very apt,although I wouldn't mind a piece of the 'Super gun' in my collection ! According to weir's wartime production history they started in 1940 producing 40 25 pdr carriages per month with production of 'other' componants alongside.by 1942 they were upto 180 carriages a month but oddly they seem to have ceased all carriage production by the end of 1943 and no reason explaining why and what they made as an alternative. This info does lead somewhere but I have to unravel it veeeery slowly :yawn: as I am still in the process of tying loose ends. Rob.......................rnixartillery.

You are all Quite right with your comments but heading down the wrong pipeline. 25 pounder,could you post the date and reg no stamped on the carriage plate on your Gun,it may start with the letters CA. Gordon,you are correct.Weirs did not produce the Ordnance but manufactured carriages,recuperators and other componants. Rob..............................rnixartillery.