RA300 - Royal Artillery Tercentenary - RA Heritage

On completion of the Royal Review there was the opportunity to look at the equipment that had been reviewed by the Queen.

RA 300 with Light Gun

STA Equipment                                                    Weapon Systems

              Warrior OPV                                          Light Gun           MLRS

After lunch there was an opportunity to experience the 300 years of Royal Artillery history through heritage displays and re-enactments.  The story of the Royal Artillery was told through a gun   display and firing of equipment used through out the last 300 years.

 

The initial display featured Waterloo to Wipers: Guns from the Age of the Horse. The guns manned at Waterloo, Queen Victoria’s Volunteer Artillery, and an 18 pounder from WW1 were in action.

Waterloo to Wipers

                   Waterloo                   Victorian Volunteers     WW1 18 pounder

Waterloo to Wipers firing

 The Company Musketeers and Pikemen from the Honourable Artillery Company gave a display of pike and shot from the age of the English Civil War. One command that was definitely non Gunner like was “rest in a lazy pose“ !!

Musketeers and Pikemen
Honourable Artillery Company

 It was then a return to gunnery and Tyres and Tracks: Guns from the Age of Mechanisation. The mechanisation of the Royal Artillery after WW1 brought gun tractors and self propelled guns.

Coming into action and firing were an 18 pounder, 25 pounder and Sexton SP.

Mechanised Tractor with 18 pounder

Quad and 25 pounder

Sexton Self-propelled 25 pounder

Sexton firing

The final firing display consisted of the guns of Arnhem included 25 pounder 3.7in HAA Gun and a 5.5 inch.

Guns of Arnhem

 As a finale there was a flypast of an Auster Aircraft as used by the Air OP units of the Royal Artillery.

Auster Air OP Flypast

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MLRS towing 25 pounders !