The Vision

The vision is to provide a living memorial to Australian Artillery by deploying the gun and team for commemorative events starting in 1915 for the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli.

The RAAHC has assembled a team to deliver a World War 1 Quick Firing 18 Pounder gun and ammunition limber complete with horse team and gun detachment.

The Gun

The Quick Firing (QF) 18 Pounder was the principle Field Gun of the British Army in World War One.  The gun saw service in every theatre of the Great War. Its calibre of 84mm and shell weight made it more brutal and destructive than the French 75mm and German 77mm. Its ammunition had the shell combined with the cartridge dthus giving it the description of ‘quick firing’.

The gun and its ammunition limber were towed by a team of six light draught horses. A driver was allocated to each two horse team and rode the left horse of each pair. The two wheeled ammunition limber was hooked up to the horses and the trail of the gun was hooked to the limber. Further to this, each gun had two additional ammunition limbers towed by their own team. The photograph below illustrates the standard horse drawn configuration.

The gun detachments, led by the detachment sergeant on his own horse, rode into action either on the horses or on the limber. During the early stages of the war, an ammunition limber was positioned on the left of the gun, but as the war progressed and larger quantities of ammunition were being used, stockpiles of ammunition were dumped in pits next to the guns.

The 18 pounder gun was introduced into Australian service in 1906 and continued to be used until 1945. It was the standard field gun in service until 1940 when it began to be replaced by the 25 pounder gun. When World War 1 commenced there were 116 18-pounder guns in Australia and 76 of these were sent to Gallipoli and France during the war. In addition further guns were purchased to replace damaged guns and also to supply the increasing number of gun batteries in the AIF. It is estimated some 500 guns were obtained in all. 116 were brought back to Australia. Today only seven of this early model remain of which three are updated with pneumatic tyres and three are Museum items.

The Project

The gun and limber have been sourced from the RAAHC component of the artillery collection held by the Army at Bandiana since the closure of the Australian Army Artillery Museum at North Head. The Australian Army History Unit has transported the gun and associated spare parts to North Head where restoration is taking place. The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust has provided facilities for the restoration. The Restoration has been be carried out by Jim Frecklington a noted coach builder and restorer; Jim has built the Australian State Coach which was presented to Her Majesty on the occasion of the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. He is being assisted with expert advice on the gun and limber by members of the RAAHC and information being provided from the UK, Canada and New Zealand. Harnesses, saddles, uniforms and people are being sought by a Canberra and Goulburn based team. Max Pearce of Beauwood Stud in Goulburn provided the training for horses and drivers.  This geographically separated team is led by Ian Ahearn, a retired gunner who is based in Canberra.

Horses and riders under training using dual ammunition limbers

It soon became obvious that a means of transporting the gun and limber was needed. Dean Trailers in Bowral was engaged to build a purpose designed trailer. The canopy was constructed by A1 Marine and Auto Trim in Mittagong and the sign writing by Bowralsigns. The finished product met all expectations and has been successfully used on multiple occasions.

The trailer under construction above , and in all its glory below

The gun, limber and horse team had their first outing in Goulburn for that city’s

Heritage Week in March 2015. This first outing was a great success.

The Team moves along the main street in Goulburn

The GG (right edge of photo) welcomes the Team to Canberra

The photograph above shows (L to R) Project Manager Ian Ahearn,

RAAHC Director of Collections Kevin Browning, Jim Frecklington the restorer and Sir Peter Cosgrove the Governor General

discussing the finer points of the restored 18 Pounder in the foreground. GG

ANZAC Day 2015 in Canberra was a major milestone for the project when the Team led the parade onto the Australian War Memorial forecourt.

Waiting to move onto the AWM forecourt- Max Pearce the trainer is at left holding the lead horse

The vision partly achieved with the Team passing the saluting point

during the National ANZAC Day Commemoration.

The gun and limber are now displayed in the departure hall of the Canberra Airport (see photograph above).

The horses are agisted at Fairbairn and Burra.

Commemoration activities ceased on the 2019 ANZAC Day commemoration in Goulburn,

an appropriate place as it was there, five years ago, that the ACG first paraded.