Bytown Gunners restore a 17 pounder ATk Gun

[Gunner]

30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (The Bytown Gunners) have a heritage troop of guns used by the Regiment. So far the collection consists of a 9 pounder Rifled Muzzle Loader circa 1872, a 25 pounder with trailer No 27 (limber) and, our most recent acquisition, a 17 pounder anti-tank gun.

The 17 pounder was used by the Bytown Gunners of 51st ATk Bty, 1st ATk Regt, RCA from introduction in 1943 to the end of the war when the Regiment was stood down.

The specific gun in question sat for over 40 years in front of the library in Carleton Place, Ontario. It was replaced by a pair of 105mm C1 howitzers and, after some interesting negotiations, it was acquired by the Regiment in the summer of 2012. With the full support of the CO and funding from the museum committee we convened a team of serving and retired members to get the gun into parade ready condition. The team includes some very talented folks including a retired RCEME LCol, a retired naval PO, a Master Gunner, an Instructor-in-Gunnery, a Chief Warrant Officer, two Assistant Instructors-in-Gunnery and a slew of artillery NCOs and Gunners. We work out of the Gun Shed at the new "Morrison Artillery Park" (MAP) just off Hunt Club Road in the former CFB Uplands.

I hope to do a running restoration blog as time will allow so here goes:

Unfortunately, the poor old beast sat under some pine trees during its time as a monument. The annual coating of acidic pine needles ate away significant chunks of steel including large parts of the rims... careful work by a talented local welder put those to right and a search for affordable 9.00X16 NDCC tires found us a good deal not far from where the gun had sat for so many years. A bit of bead grinding got the US type tires to fit the British rims, not the best option but one anyone restoring Canadian or UK origination 16 inch rims is stuck with.

With the gun now able to trail behind a truck, we hauled it into our friendly welding shop where some mangled and missing bits were repaired and replaced. From there it was hauled to a local sandblaster for cleaning and priming... this was seen as key to freeing up many of the rusted parts as the corrosion was deep in many places. I will post photos of the gun as found and during the recovery once I get them from the chaps that handled that part.

Meeting on alternative Thursday nights, the last month and a half has been spent removing the traverse and elevating mechanisms as well as freeing up the trails and the trail locks. Through many "trails" and tribulations we have reached the point where we can manually swing the gun up and down but something is still seizing the traverse even with all the mechanisms removed. We had hope do avoid lifting the shields and the tube/recoil mechanism but it may be inevitable if we can't get the traverse freed with lube and brute force!

One priority right now is freeing the spades which are resisting heat and brute force. In a typical "design failing to consider repair" the spades can only be dismantled if they are in the deployed position... ours are frozen in the stowed position! @#&#%$!!!

Another key step is freeing the axle pivot so the gun can differentiate when the trails are manipulated and finally we need to free the breech block which is rusted into the breech ring.

Anyone interested in helping out or simply dropping in to see what we are accomplishing is welcome to send me a PM for an invitation the Gun Park. Its a secure military facility so just dropping in unannounced is frowned on!

First photo- part of the team of volunteers working on the 17 pounder.

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Second photo- Mr Gnr Robinson, myself and Bdr Derouin discuss options to removing the traverse mechanism.

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Third photo- the frame and 20 ton jack which we hope will push the block out!

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Stayed tuned for more from MAP!

Ubique! Mike