Great day out

Bob McNeill · #1 22-02-09, 13:00

Took the 25 for a run to Oberon, so my 90 year old father came along to give the local school kids a history lesson. Dad served 2/9th Field Reg, Suez Canal defence Force, Middle East & Dutch New Guinea. 18Prs 25Pr 4.5 Howitzers.

Col Tigwell · #2 22-02-09, 22:47

Nice workmanship, better than all the daggy ones sitting outside the local RSL.

What do you tow it with.

And no snow, first time I have seen Oberon with no snow.

Hope your Dad enjoyed his day out.

Regards

Col

lynx42 · #3 22-02-09, 23:53

G'day Bob,
Good to see the long 25 out and about.
What are you bringing to Corowa?
Looks like Oberon was a good display with plenty of vintage and classic cars as well.
Say hello to your Dad. Haven't seen him since Canberra 2005. Pleased that he's still up and about.
Regards Rick

Wayne Henderson · #4 23-02-09, 01:13

Hi Bob, Good looking gun. Great to see original tools displayed. I noticed the piece has been thru the upgrade, muzzel brake and counterweight. Was this gun ever fitted with the front pintle assembly as we have here in the west?
Wayne.

Bob McNeill · #5 23-02-09, 08:41

Normally towed by C15a with limber if big show, this trip I had the C15. The old man is always on my case about retrofitting the early barrel. none of 2/9th gun fitted with pintle but several in district show signs. Would be great I could tow the short behind instead of the limber. C15 going to Corowa.

CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé · #6 23-02-09, 19:43

Hi Bob, very nice display.
We own one C15A, and a caisson and 25 PDR as well.
Could you take a picture how the clinometer case is attached on the howitzer. We just bought one.
It i situated above the zero line plastic plate.
On our gun there are 4 holes and that all.
I would like to be as accurate as possible.

Gilles

Col Tigwell · #7 23-02-09, 22:40

Bob and My Chief Warrant Officer.

Whilst the limber may make it more difficult to tow, is it not a lovely combination to display.

Both set ups are a credit to you both.

I presume yours Bob was demilled before you got it, does than mean you cannot fire blanks.

Best wishes to you both.

Regards

Col

Bob McNeill · #8 24-02-09, 10:25

Stuffed if I know how I,d get the turntable up on the No27 limber mine has the spare wheel on top, easier to just clip it undernearth where it belongs, the clino box is some times available as Spare clinometer without the brass clips [see light brown unit ]. do you have the Field clino fitted RHS near dial sight box, the sooner the No9 is ready and the limber parked up the better it really makes the job so much harder on man and machine. The RTA here has directed me not to roadtrain east of Dubbo, NO limber except on parades.

Col Tigwell · #9 24-02-09, 23:26

That seems strange request what is the RAT's logic on that decision.

The army had those sort of combinations, long before road trains were common down southern parts of Australia.

Regards

Col

CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé · #10 25-02-09, 02:06

Bob, thank for the pictures, this is exactly what I was looking for.
We will install it over the zero line plastic plate, as per your black case.

We fire our howitzer about 10 times a year at different events even during the winter and as you know in Montréal we have a real winter.
Last week we fired the departure shoot for an events called “ Les tuques blues” for “les Amis de la Montage”, en anglais: The Bleu Toques, for the friends of the Mont-Royal.
This is a park right in the middle of the City of Montréal, in the Québec Province of Canada, and” les Amis” protect all the trees and grass that builders would like to destroyed in order to build housing.
Again thank you for the great help and I can help please let me know.
Gilles

Bob McNeill · #11 25-02-09, 10:00

Col Yes we CAN but NO we don,t except at the goverments request, the Firearms Registry put a stop to it. An old primer milled out to take a female shotgun cartridge and a bag of acetaline gas from the welding set, load case pull handle BANG. The RTA,s ruling is that the barrel exceeds the permisable overhang of 1mtr.

Bob McNeill · #12 05-04-09, 09:10

Must be the silly season, I was approached by my local reserve base to help with a display, so they carried the 25 on their 20 ton trailer to and from the gun show. It was a pleasant drive to setup for the 2 days.

maple_leaf_eh · #13 12-04-09, 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé

Hi Bob, very nice display.
We own one C15A, and a caisson and 25 PDR as well.
....
I would like to be as accurate as possible.

Gilles

Is that Cote de Neiges armoury?

CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé · #14 13-04-09, 23:03

Yes it is Côte-des-Neiges Armoury.
Were are you located?

Gilles

maple_leaf_eh · #15 14-04-09, 04:32

Believe it or not I was in the Cote de Neiges Armoury only twice. I'm in the next big city to the west of your fine city.

Bob McNeill · #16 20-10-09, 15:56

Gave the old man another couple of days yakking and showin off at the steam w/end south of sydney. Some interesting vehicles also there.

Richard Farrant · #17 20-10-09, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob McNeill

Gave the old man another couple of days yakking and showin off at the steam w/end south of sydney. Some interesting vehicles also there.

Hi Bob,

The last photo is a Fordson WOT1, and could well have been an airfield crash tender.

What is the crawler with the mean tracks? Looks to be Chinese letters on the front.

Richard

Bob McNeill · #18 21-10-09, 10:14

Richard the tracked unit was designed in russia , built in china. The fordson , the first I,ve seen here reminded me of the ford balloon truck with us in 94.

Richard Farrant · #19 22-10-09, 01:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob McNeill

Richard the tracked unit was designed in russia , built in china. The fordson , the first I,ve seen here reminded me of the ford balloon truck with us in 94.

Thanks Bob. Yes, the balloon winch truck, it was a Ford, but not this model, it was based on a US model. The red one here is a British design one specially for the War Office, some had closed cabs, but it being open is I am sure an old crash tender. There were some in Aus, I met a guy called Herb, at Corowa once, from Mount Isa and he had found one of these. Recently saw photos of the Royal Navy mobile airfields in NSW and Qld with one shown.

All the best, Richard

Bob McNeill · #20 22-10-09, 03:42

Richard, I,ll agree the blue RAF truck ( with dent )very different , just a 6x6 fordson is not our typical aussie unit. I couldn,t help compareing it and thinking its not that far from our cmp predecessor, scammel. Have some pics for the steam freaks.

Bob McNeill · #21 22-10-09, 15:38

a few of the many green machines

CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé · #22 27-10-09, 23:51

We did acquired a 22C sighting telescope (antitank) and his adapter for our 25 Pdr howitzer.
We are missing the DETACHABLE RUBBER EYEGUARD.

Does anyone have a spare one or know were we could get one?
Any picture of the telescope mounted on the gun with the eyeyguard would be great?

Thanks

Gilles
UBIQUE

Rick W · #23 28-10-09, 00:30

Nice pics. My Champ is done up as MELF I dont suppose you have any pics of any vehicles from there you can post up?

Bob McNeill · #24 28-10-09, 12:26

is this good enough, some eye shields were on epay recently, maybe the mlu,er will see your request and reply. Champs a hole heap down at corowa 08

CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé · #25 29-10-09, 08:03

Thank for the pictures but I think you are showing a 29C or a 41C telescope.
What I am looking for has a smaller diameter.
In any event THANK YOU"

Gilles

Bob McNeill · #26 21-02-10, 13:18

Oberon was on again this w/end, new improved venue, the old man spent 2 1/2 days talking himself horse, the weather was clear, over 230 entries of all sorts.

Bob McNeill · #27 14-02-11, 14:41

Well the Oberon Steam Fair is over for another year, big crown turned out to watch all sorts of machinary drive down the main street and go on display in the football grounds. This year we had a jeep tow the short [ under the bosses orders ] tested the brakes out the first corner Ok after that. Dad drove up on Friday went back on Sunday rarely had time to himself, kids mainly wanting to know about his collection of medals,'' of which he is happy to talk about ''.