[Rod Bellars (RIP)]

here is another item I am chasing parts for and as back is still down will write up a couple more guns today to create interest and possibly source parts

This gun was won at tender from Puckapunyal tank museum when it decided to part out non related guns to armoured theme that languished in the "graveyard " for concreting money for base improvements . I won this gun and a German ww1 77m m96 captured by 17btn

The gun was a ww2 bring back probably from Tobruk area and started life as a ww1 anti aircraft gun that was also mounted on a truck bed , it was modified for ww2 with I assume removal of the front elevation adjustement and bronzing of it shut and other fire control items were updated / removed

On arrival in Australia it went to PUcka base and sat for years in tank museums graveyard apart from a brief loan to Geelong naval museum before they cleared the lot in a tender sale .
while in the graveyard items were removed for "beer money" ie scrap bronze and both traverse handles are removed as well as one of the pivot adjusters .
Apart from the loss of parts it is a very sound gun and has some quite interesting features being
-ball joint adjustment of centre pedestal mount , quick traverse engaged on a clutch system still working and orginally a two tier elevation system that was modified in ww2 to a one tier .
Also of interest when we started stripping off the post war "packing box grey" marker paint large amounts of the orignal ww1 grey paint was saved and on top of this traces of ww2 desert tan . The germans also mounted these guns on trucks and used them as anti tank guns being one of the more efficient Italian designs .

When the elvation is moved upwards the elevator arc has "stablimento San Giorgio " on it which may relate to the arms factory area that made it or to the cruiser "San Giorgio "skuttled in Tobruk harbour? .
This is slowly under work and currently breach block is out being cleaned up at some time it has fell on side and operating handle has been sheared off and lost . This gun would not have survived post war scrap drives as it has an amazing amount of bronze in its construction refer shots

If anyone knows of any others surving woudl be interested in shots
below are a few shots

one
shows original ww1 grey on recoil tube and desert tan on top in places as well as removed front elevator gear in post ww1 modification

two
shows elevator unit with reversed handle still attached and folded back gunners bycycle seat mounts on arms


three
shows markings on elvator as above

four
overall shot of gun with block removed

again I am chasing for this gun a set of traverse handwheels , breach block operating handle and sights and would also like to know of any others around or any history on this gun getting here
regards
Rod