TOPIC:

Forum members
On Observatory Hill, overlooking the inner reaches of Sydney Harbour, is emplaced a Krupp 75mm L24 field artillery piece; booty from the ABW.
Situated just in front of a granite Memorial dedicated to the memory of all the various NSW Contingents sent to SA, the breech of this gun bears the date "1895" and the maker's name: KRUPP, ESSEN.
Despite no longer having wheels, the gun itself is a considerable rarity. It is one of a number of L24s imported by the Transvaal and is of Quick Firing type with horizontally sliding breech block (using ammunition with shell and cartridge case fixed together), rather than of the shell-and bagged-charge arrangement.
Sources indicate that this particular gun was used by either the 1st or 2nd Mounted Batteries of the STAATSARTILLIERE and that it was surrendered at Paardeberg on 27011900 and sent to NSW as a trophy. It is reported to be the only one of it's kind extant.
The memorial plaque was extremely difficult to photograph; being of weathered bronze and the morning sun being in the wrong position! However, the plaque does not name individual casualties; just C.O.s of the variuos Contingents.
The Memorial was dedicated as late as 1940.
Regards to all
IL.

Ian

That gun must have made the heart of many an artilleryman beat faster! Do you know of any photographs of the gun taken after it was captured at Paardeberg?

Regards
Brett

Brett
Sorry, no, I don't. I was quite aware of the Observatory Hill Boer Gun; however I was not aware of it's background until I did some digging around. It really should be fitted with wheels to represent it's former glory; however we are quite lucky that it survived at all. Over the years, for example, many WW1 guns have been lost due to rust and neglect (and, I am sorry to say, the PC brigade). This one, however, survives largely intact.
Regards
IL.

Ian

The gun really would benefit from the addition of wheels. Perhaps someone can launch a fund-raising campaign to get the job done, as well as adding an information board relating its history and significance. I have great admiration (and envy) for the way in which Australia celebrates its military history, so I feel sure that some cosmetic attention to the Observatory Hill gun can be achieved.

Regards
Brett

Ian,

Looks in reasonable condition given its age and position. Maybe square wheels have been its saviour? Thanks for posting up, I will have to wander up and have a Captain Cook when I am next in Sydney.

Cheers
Stephen

Stephen
Perhaps we might have a short-notice meeting of the Antipodean Chapter near the Transvaal gun the next time you are in town?
Brett
It would be nice for it to have something approximating the original wheels. This, however, might not be possible. When I visited Anglesea Barracks in Hobart, I did notice that some of the wheeled guns were altered so that metal plates prevented the inquisitive young from scaling via the wheel spokes! I kid you not. What the parents are supposed to be doing whilst little angst was scaling the heights, well, I don't know. In OZ at the moment, we are beset with PC.
We are lucky to have the Transvaal Gun in anything like it's original condition.
Regards
IL.