Numbers

[Bob McNeill]

Mike, you are correct again, the numbers were white but we did not find any other colours and only visable on left hand side in 2" high. Have got second frame so will go carefully. Thanks.

[Bob McNeill]

Mike I didn,t have any pics BUT the owner of the jeep had this one. the second pic is dads first short 25 they dealt with in Nth Qld,

[Mike Cecil]

So I see the pic has a shield in place: was your dad with 2/1 Aust Field Regt? They were supplied with the early version of the 25pdr (Short) for trials in early 1943, which included the shield.

As for the numbers, they have a meaning and are not the gun's registration number, but the Unit Serial Number (USN). The USN 61032 was the USN for 2/1st Aust Field Regiment (Jungle Scale), so I think without any doubt, your 25pdr (Short) is a combat veteran.

Mike C

[Bob McNeill]

Mike, thanks, Dad was was 2/9th and they eventually had 2 short 25s at different times, one before 18 battery went to Dutch NG and one after. I,ve been lucky enough to obtain a shield for a short 25 which has 2/4th written on it. Checked my other frame and couldn,t come up with anything of value. Dad is third on left in Nth Qld, in Canberra in last and he still doesn,t like the Short.

[Mike Cecil]

I see you aimed the display at Parliament House, rather than the High Court!! It would have to be a toss-up, wouldn't it?

He's not alone: when I interviewed several gunners back in the '80s (before the first Profile was written) it became quickly evident that the 'Guns, QF, 25-pdr (Short)' were almost universally despised by gunners who had the misfortune to have to use them.
(The Jungle Scale regiments, usually one Battery per Regiment, the other batteries being equipped with the un-modified 25-pdr.)

Were you aware your gun was a combat veteran? Will you mark it as 2/1 Aust Fd Regt?

Mike C

[Bob McNeill]

Mike, deliberate move and a number of people took photo,s from breech end, note the No 5 Carbine also on trail, shortened lighter muzzle flash hider not accurate, all the problems of the 25,s. Will have to redo the Short into its correct configuration [ the old man can disown it then ] now that we have
a history. this unit has parts of several shorts in its makeup [ 124 , 130 ] as nearly all shorts sold out of Bathurst in 46-47. Thanks

[David Dunlop]

Mike. You have my curiosity now. Why were these guns so disliked?

David