On Saturday the 25th of February 2017 Jugiong will again play host to the ANZAC Centennial Gun. This is significant as you will be able to watch our magnificent Gun being fired for the first time in decades! As part of our training in preparation for deployment the Team will fire several “Blank” rounds.
The ANZAC Centennial Gun Team are now within 8 months of deploying to England and France to take part and represent Australia in the Passchendaele Salute 2017. The ANZAC Gun will take part in a 100 round artillery salute marking the centenary of the battle. The Commemoration Event will take place at Fort De Seclin in France on the 11th of November 2017. The Troop is aiming to spend two weeks prior to the event training with the King’s Troop in London.
Our local area is playing a major role in the preparation of the gun for duties overseas and across Australia. The gun team’s horses were originally put together by Max Pearce in Goulburn. Training of the Team is now safe in the hands of Luke Dowell (Gundagai). Luke also takes control as the lead driver of the Team. The Horse Team is stabled in Jugiong and taken care of by Paul Leseberg. Further locals, Kerrie Steward (Gundagai and Harden) and Wes Leseberg (Jugiong) are drivers along with Joseph Roberts (Jugiong) who is a Gunner on the Team. All five locals will depart Australia for England and France in October with the Gun.
The Gun Team is made up of Ten (10) members, Three (3) drivers and Seven (7) Gunners along with Six (6) horses to pull the gun and four ridden horses. All our member’s are unpaid volunteers. The Gun is a Quick Firing (QF) 18 Pounder which was the principal Field Gun of the Australian Army in World War One. Designed and manufactured by Vickers (antecedent of BAE) in consortium with Armstrong Whitworth and Royal Arsenal, these guns saw service in every theatre of the Great War. Its calibre of 84mm and shell weight made it more brutal and destructive than its French 75mm and German 77mm contemporaries. The 18 Pounder was designed to be towed behind a limber and six horses. Its ammunition design had the shell combined with the cartridge, thus giving it the description of ‘quick firing’.
What makes this living memorial even more significant is it is the only working horse and gun team operating in Australia. There are other 18pdr’s in Static Display’s and Collection’s, but you will not see a display with horses and gun drill anywhere else!
The Gun will be on display outside the Long Track Pantry and Jugiong Wine Cellar from around 12 midday this Saturday. Around 1:30pm the Gun will be moved to the Jugiong Recreation Ground for Gun Drill and firing of the “blank” rounds. If you wish to support the ANZAC Gun Team Please feel free to make a donation on the day or via our website www.artilleryhistory.org You can also find more pictures of the Gun on the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company or 7th Light Horse – Gundagai Troop Facebook Pages. Come along and take a step back in time to remember our ANZAC’s!
The RAAHC is a not-for profit organization and is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient with the Australian Tax Office. Donations over $2 are Tax Deductible.
The Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company (RAAHC) contributes to the preservation of Australia’s artillery history and traditions by supporting museums in the display of artillery items, including the Australian Army Artillery Museum. The RAAHC also provides research facilities through its library, and supports the Australia’s Memorial Walk at North Head in Sydney, restores artillery objects for display and provides advice on artillery to a wide range of agencies.
