First World War-era gun finds new home at RCA Museum

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This article was published 04/08/2016 (3666 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The RCA Museum at CFB Shilo landed an impressive and rare gun from the First World War.

A QF 13 Pounder field gun was officially unveiled at the museum in late July after a year of work to bring it to Manitoba.

Museum director Andrew Oakden said a benefactor, Seymour Schulich from Toronto, was essential in acquiring the field gun.

“He did it as a memorial for his father Julius, who served in the First World War with the Seventh Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, and then with an ammunition column, transporting and loading munitions in the guns,” Oakden said.

The QF 13 Pounder was a field gun. It was standard equipment for the British Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Canadian Horse Artillery during the First World War, but when the fighting ended, three-quarters of the guns were converted to anti-aircraft guns.

The “13” refers to the weight of the shell (actually closer to 12.5 pounds), while QF refers to quick-fire.

“That meant only 56 remained as a field gun, which is the condition we have it, and 168 were converted to AA guns,” Oakden said.

He doesn’t know exactly how much fighting the acquired gun was engaged in, just that it was in theatre in India for the First World War.

“That wasn’t as vicious, you might say, as the Western front, so that may be why it survived,” he said.

The gun, made of British parts, was constructed in India. It eventually wound up in a museum in South Africa until it was bought by a private collector in Britain who owned a film prop company.

The museum purchased it off him, Oakden said.

“The owner said you could fire it … it’s operational, it’s not de-militarized.”

Serial numbers indicate the gun was built in 1910, and remains in nearly original condition.

“It looks really nice,” he added.

Oakden said the museum doesn’t publicize what was paid for the 13 Pounder.

“We don’t like to talk about values, but it’s a lot. We’re really fortunate to have it,” he said.

The QF 13 Pounder will be featured in a temporary exhibit, “The Somme: The Mechanization of War,” before being added to the museum’s permanent First World War display.

The RCA Museum is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Victoria Day to Labour Day. It’s located on Patricia Road on CFB Shilo.

» tbateman@brandonsun.com

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