Howitzer 7.2 inch

[B series]

Here is an official military photo I picked up many years ago which according the description on the photo reverse is:  OBL 7.2 Howitzer, MkI, on Carriage, Mk I, Firing Position, Right Rear.

The reverse side has this stamp

 

I don't know if there is anything unusual about this howizer, I assume this would have been towed by a Scammell R100 6x4 or maybe an Albion 6x4, it looks as if it could be from WW1 to me.

I expect the quaint sounding "The Concert Hall" would have been an impressed building during WWII, a quick Google search shows it still survives as a 600 seat venue. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[REME 245]

Originally a WW1 - 8 inch Howitzer with a liner inserted during WW2 to produce the 7.2 - inch gun.  The carriage was also retro fitted with pneumatic tyres.    The latter longer barreled Mk6 version was mounted on the ammerican 155mm carriage.  Fort Nelson have or did have one set up outside by the entrance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_7.2-inch_howitzer

[morris c8 fat]

The one in Woolwich before the move

[B series]

OH, that gun is looking a bit neglected, I have never visited Woolwich, but I thought they would have had room to store items undercover. I hope it can be restored, but I fully understand that this type of object is interesting to fewer people as time moves on, and museums cannot keep everything. WWII is a subject taught in history lessons and to most people now it is not a subject that they have any interest in or knowledge about. 

 

 

 

[Richard Farrant]

1 minute ago, B series said:

OH, that gun is looking a bit neglected, I have never visited Woolwich, but I thought they would have had room to store items undercover. I hope it can be restored

When I worked at REME workshops we did some vehicle restoration work for the Royal Artillery museum at the Rotunda and after the workshop closure, the Curator put some work my way to get some of the vehicles on display outside in to running order. At that time it was impossible to get the larger exhibits under cover, that was, until the new museum called Firepower opened on the old Arsenal site. There was never a large footfall to the Rotunda and I suspect income was not  high. The exhibits inside were exceptional.

There was a large parking area next to the Rotunda building and it was full of artillery, vehicles and related equipment, including AA radar trailers and an Auster AOP.

I remember the 7.2 in Gun as the staff referred to it as the 'Spike Milligan gun', I was told he donated some money towards it.

regards, Richard

 

[Gordon_M]

13 hours ago, Richard Farrant said:

I remember the 7.2 in Gun as the staff referred to it as the 'Spike Milligan gun', I was told he donated some money towards it.

regards, Richard

 

I wonder if that was the famous Goon show artillery type, from when the Milligan and Secombe originally met?

From Wikipedia, can't figure out how to link it:

Milligan and Harry Secombe became friends while serving in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War. Famously, Milligan first encountered Secombe after GunnerMilligan's artillery unit accidentally allowed a large howitzer to roll off a cliff, under which Secombe was sitting in a small wireless truck: "Suddenly there was a terrible noise as some monstrous object fell from the sky quite close to us. There was considerable confusion, and in the middle of it all the flap of the truck was pushed open and a young, helmeted idiot asked 'Anybody see a gun?' It was Milligan."^[8] Secombe's answer to that question was "What colour was it?" 

🤣

Edited July 31, 2020 by Gordon_M

[REME 245]

There is one on a plinth in Belgum where they have reversed engineered it making up metal wheels as per the WW1 pattern and passing it off as an 8 inch Howitzer.

Sadly it must have been in excellent condition prior to putting it outside and the leather pouch has rotted and the Oil Reservoir Tank had been allowed to fill with water and has been burst by freezing.

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by REME 245

[Bob Grundy]

Dinky Toys had one of these 7.2 Howitzers in the 1950/60's

[Tony.]

I was asked to restore one of these about six years ago, to match up with a WW1 Holt Tractor. I was told that it had been one of a pair used on the firing range at Foulness, and the other one had been restored and had gone to New Zealand. The one I started on was missing most of the 'Trail' and had no barrel. It just had the WW2 wheel hubs and spokes with no outer rims, which were fixed into a frame presumably to steady it when firing.  I went down to Woolwich with some friends to see 'Spikes gun',  The Curator was very obliging, and allowed us access to the library where we gained very useful information from an original 8" Howitzer handbook. I was able to fabricate the missing 'Trail' and original type wheels, but had to use a WW2 155mm howitzer barrel, original WW1 howitzer barrels are just not available these days!  The Holt has since been sold, and strangely the buyer didn't want the gun, which I believe is still for sale.

[Bob Grundy]

A brilliant job, well done.

[Tony.]

Thanks for your kind words, does anyone know what the stamped figures and letters mean?

[B series]

Tony, I must say that is a very impressive fabrication job on the trail. Well done.

 

Here the Dinky version mentioned earlier in the thread, which is much easier to push around.

 

 

B series

 

[Richard Farrant]

4 hours ago, Tony. said:

Thanks for your kind words, does anyone know what the stamped figures and letters mean?

BP & Co Ltd would be Baker Perkins, they produced a lot of artillery.

[Stableboy]

That's the one that was at Zonnbeke, isn't it...?   I nearly had that out of the mud in theb Uk yard where it lay...

[Tony.]

Sorry, I don't know the history of the gun before it was at The Foulness Firing Range.

[Stableboy]

There might well be 2, but this one was at Foulness with the tail of tbe trail embedded in a concrete block, and cut off so could be removed quuickly from the site - when i said Zonnebeke, i had been aware that a restored one had been loaned or at least exhibited at that Belgian museum which is near Passchendaele.. no idea about its pre-Rage history.. Did it come from the  UK south coast..?