Heritage Gun Restoration Report No. 29

by Gunner R.C. Andersen

The Heritage Gun Restoration Committee of the Gunners’ Association

I am pleased to inform all members that good progress continues to be made on the Heritage Gun Restoration Project as well as other heritage initiatives. This report will deal with the activities and accomplishment over the last six months.

Heritage Gun Register and Database.

Presently there are 521 guns recorded on the Register of which 342 (66%) have been inspected since the project began over four years ago. We have also managed to add pictures of the guns and the database now contains photos of 206 guns (40%). This is a work in progress, and we are pleased with results so far.

Restoration Projects In
Progress and Completed

Respraying

Over the past six months, fourteen guns have been resprayed as follows:

GEM Homes

  • 3.7” Howitzer

Ditsong National Museum of Military History

  • 3” 20 CWT QF AA

Fort Klapperkop

  • 60 mm Armstrong RML Cannon
  • 80mm Armstrong
  • 65 mm British Mountain Gun
  • 200mm Mortar
  • 155mm BL Creusot (Long Tom Replica)

Springs MOTH Memorial

  • 3.7” Howitzer

Springs Mine and Military Museum

  • 4” Naval Gun MKIV
  • 2” QF Naval Gun
  • 7.7cm FK M96 Field Gun
  • 3.7” QF AA Gun
Figure 1: 3.7" Howitzer located at the Springs MOTH Memorial.
Figure 1: 3.7″ Howitzer located at the Springs MOTH Memorial.

Gunners’ Memorial Potchefstroom

  • Sexton
  • 140mm GV 2
Figure 2:  155mm GV4 at School of Artillery.

Restoration Projects in Progress/Imminent

Durban Memorial

  • 13 Pdr

School of Artillery

  • GV 4

Stable parade and Maintenance Completed

Smuts House

  • GV1 (Jan Smuts Funeral gun)
  • 15 Pdr

Ditsong SA National Museum of Military History

  • All guns were cleaned in September 2023, which included re-inflating all tyres.

Figure 3: Members of the SANMMH Building & Development Trust and Gunners with the Acting Director of the national Museum of Military History, Mr Alan Sinclair.
Figure 4: Members of the naval Officers Association assisted with cleaning the Naval Guns.

New Guns Located

Potchefstroom

Gunner Dirk Bloem managed to located the following guns in and around Potchefstroom.

13 Pdr

13 Pdr

7.7cm FKM96n.A Gun

DoD Ordnance Depot

GV1

GV2

3.7” Heavy AA Gun

3.7” Heavy AA Gun

Job Masego Regiment

GV1

GV1

3.7” QF AA Gun

40mm QF Bofors

40mm QF Bofors

17 Pdr Anti-tank

17 Pdr – recoilless

Springs Mine and Military Museum

3.7” QF AA Gun

Other Projects Completed

Thanks to the SA Army Artillery Formation, all the Gunner flags in the Gen Dan Pienaar Gun Park and between G5 and G6 at the Ditsong SA National Museum of Military History have been replaced.

The Gunner Plinth in Barberton was used for the wreath laying in early October 2023.

Challenges

The AA guns at Ermelo and all the guns at Wonderboom Museum must be inspected and added to the Register and data base.

Little progress is being made with the Durban and Pietermaritzburg City Hall and the Joubert Park guns.

Funds

It is anticipated that the existing Gun Restoration Fund will be depleted after paying for the paint for the GV 4 and after supporting KZN with their 13 Pdr.

The committee will now have to focus on obtaining sponsorship of specific guns as we recently did in the case of three guns at the Memorial in Potchefstroom.

My thanks to everyone who has been involved. The support has been great.

Gnr Roy Andersen

Chairman

Heritage Gun Restoration Committee

17 October 2023

To down load a PDF file of this report click here.

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