In 1947 the course consisted of seven "very stiff obstacles" over a distance of 440 yards (400m) each way. \r\rThe field gun run competition first took place at the Royal Tournament of 1907. The course was changed in 1908 with a chasm replacing the plank obstacle. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. In 1907, the Royal Navy staged the first Inter Command Field Gun Competition at the Tournament. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 minute 13.40 seconds. The crews started at one end of the arena and began by negotiating an obstacle of planks fixed at 18-inches above the ground. After all, the Royal Navy is supposed to fight at sea. The competition evolved during the early years of the 20th century. In 1960 Chatham ran at the tournament for the last time. It was at this point that the Royal Navy was called into action. At the end of the two weeks field gunning, four trophies are awarded. Posted July 23, 2015 in Guns & Gear, Other Gear & Gadgets by Nicholas C with 10 CommentsTags: Artillery, competition, royal navy. Royal Navy Field Gun. but it's up to you to prove yourself and give your all,' she says. The "Brickwoods" trophy itself is a reproduction in silver of a 12-pounder field gun and a gun crew of seven sailors. The ZiS-3 could be used in direct fire against armored vehicles, direct fire in infantry support, and indirect fire against distant targets. The teams will be competing for the pride of their respective bases - HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, and HMS Sultan in neighbouring Gosport. The main Naval involvement for several years had been from 40 ratings drawn from HMS Excellent, carrying out Cutlass Drill, and a Gun Drill Display, comprising as follows: The Guns are brought in and, after a short march round the arena, are cleared for action and one round is fired. Field Guns. A film clip of this evolution survives from the period[2] which was filmed by Alfred J West for his popular 'Our Navy' film presentations in the early 1900s. The course was then negotiated in the opposite direction with the winner being the first crew to cross the original start line. The team and equipment then passed through a hole in the "enemy wall" at the end of the arena. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 min 13.4 secs. 1913 - the two ramps returned, with their gap lengthening to 30-feet, with both men and guns being required to cross the chasm by means of sheer-legs and a wire jackstay. Gridiron March and Half-Batteries brought into action. To excel at this sport, team members need the explosive speed of a cheeta, the strength of a weightlifter, and the precision of a ballerina. The chasm returned in 1913 and was extended to a distance of 30ft. Less than 24 hours later at 6 p.m. on the 26th October, the mountings were built and the guns dispatched together with four 12-pounders in HMS POWERFUL to Durban. 1908 - the Inter-Port Competition was livened up by the substituting the plank obstacle with a Chasm. HMS Collingwood itself has had a good record in the competition, having won the Brickwood Trophy 16 times between 1957 and 2006. Flashlight/Laser Enthusiast 3rd Retire and Finish The Naval Brigades were professional organisations. Seaman from HMS Victory (RN Barracks, Portsmouth) introduced a further obstacle in the form of a bridge, too narrow for the guns to be hauled over in the usual manner.The following year, the Tournament was relocated to Olympia in West London. Field guns are incredibly heavy and moving them is dangerous work. This video shows a competition where participants race with artillery. The Royal Navy Field Gun competition was contested by teams from the Royal Naval commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm (although teams from Chatham and the Royal Marines have also competed). The Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, in which teams of sailors compete to transport a field gun and its equipment over and through a series of obstacles in the shortest time. In the old days, officers were excluded because they could not take orders from lower ranks. Currently only Wellington College and Portsmouth Action Field Gun Crews run the 'command' style of Field Gun Run. The Interport ("Command") Field Gun competition was established in 1907 and was a highlight of the Royal Tournament until the Last Run in 1999. The course was then negotiated in the opposite direction with the winner being the first crew to cross the original start line. Leaving Ladysmith on the 7th March 1900 the sailors of Powerful and Terrible were soon back on board. The Birmingham Tattoo, held yearly in the city of Birmingham, also hosts an inter-service field gun challenge as part of their programme. Crews were permitted to use wires, ropes, spars etc to traverse the obstacle. The collapsing sheer legs killed him. But it is not all glory and record breaking as was proved in 1982. 2nd Advance, 1st Action Both at Devonport base, HMS Drake and at Earls Court there was a very subdued atmosphere. The event originates from guns being run cross treacherous terrain during the siege of Ladysmith during the Boer War. All the badges were transferred, but not, however, put back in the same positions. The Royal Marines set a new record in 1924 of 1 minute 24.40 seconds. The gun is fired three times as quickly as possible. There was never a shortage of volunteers - up to 300 for each crew. The major campaigns in which the Naval Brigades were involved: The origin of the Field Gun competitions is linked to episodes during the Boer War. Then, having reassembled the guns, they crossed a 4-foot wall and on arrival at the other end of the arena fired one round. The track is 85 yards (78m) long, which means a total run of 170 yards (160m). 1st Retire, 2nd Wheel Do not sell or share my personal information. In recent years, the Army and the Royal Air Force have entered teams, too. Both officers and men received regular training in the techniques of land warfare at the gunnery school, HMS Excellent, at Portsmouth. The gun and wheels are heavy! The original stipulation by Brickwood that the trophy was only open to teams from within Portsmouth continued until 1975 when the competition was widened to include bases from around the country. The limber is run back and hooked to the gun then every member of the crew strains to accelerate the gear over the finish line. For the sailors who take part in the competition it as near to war as you can get and is the culmination of six months of dedication, fitness, courage, teamwork and. The limber wheels are shipped and it is run back and hooked to the gun. The team and equipment then passed through a hole in the "enemy wall" at the end of the arena. Sailors had to move the guns inland from the coast to Ladysmith so formed teams and raced the guns . Today's practice is cut mercifully short because of an accident. A.B Allen the Flying Angel (no.7) for Portsmouth was the last man being pulled across the chasm on the run back. The legendary story tells of the siege of the British garrison in the township of Ladysmith in 1899. Man-packed mortars lack the range or hitting power of gun-artillery. The second part of the competition (the "Run Back") involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5-foot (1.5m) enemy wall and then back across the chasm. A 'lucky' 50 would be selected and subjected to six months of intensive training before the Royal Tournament itself. In 1896 the first all-naval display appeared in the programme of the Tournament. As the British Army was besieged by Boer fighters in the garrison town of Ladysmith, Natal, the Royal Navy landed guns from HM Ships Terrible and Powerful to help in the relief of the siege. These are applied as appropriate to each team upon completion of the drill by the event's Chief Judge. The clock was stopped as the teams crossed back over the start line. The crew set up a wire and traveller so all 18 members of the crew and their equipment could cross the chasm. Brickwood maintained a close interest in the competition over the years. All these men are giving up months of their own time for nothing more than camaraderie and an almighty challenge: racing a Victorian cannon against the clock. From 2001 there will be a new Military Tattoo featuring ceremony, massed bands and pageantry, also at Horse Guards Parade. At the sounding of the G on the bugle the final phase is to take all their equipment through the narrow gaps in the home wall. However, instead of checking on the collapsing sheer legs and passing on the outside of them he went through the middle. The second part of the competition (the Run Back) involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5-foot (1.5m) enemy wall and then back across the chasm. Once all the crew and equipment were back on the home side of the chasm, the wire and traveller were dismantled and three more rounds were fired in a rear guard action. In 1900, the entire British Empire rejoiced after British forces, besieged inside the South African town of Ladysmith for 119 days, were finally relieved. On their return home, the sailors from the Naval Brigade paraded their guns through London and appeared at the Royal Naval and Military Tournament at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. 1947 - Naval Air Command replaced the Royal Marines in the competition, 1949 & 1950 - Final year at Olympia, followed by the first year at Earls Court, 1952 - Bronze medals introduced for the runners up Crews, 1960 - Chathams final year in competition, Pompeys post War Clean Sweeps (of the 3 major trophies! It's an obsession which has cost him the middle finger on his right hand - 'a training incident, one of those things'. And next week, for the first time in a decade, they will do it before the Queen. Field guns also lack a specialized purpose, such as anti-tank or coastal artillery. Upon their entry the newcomers won the Aggregate Time Challenge Cup as well as the Fastest Time Cup. In support of the British Army, the Royal Navy landed guns from HMS Terrible and Powerful to help in the relief of the siege. This evening's two-hour training session here in Portsmouth's historic dockyard - the third of the day - is a surprisingly jolly affair. Some members of the crew just sat and stared at their lynch pins, crying. One story tells of sailors carrying one of the 12-pounder guns for 2 miles (3.2km) after one of the wheels collapsed. (reason why at the moment remains unclear! 1936 - No Competition at the Royal Tournament. Gym-casual Ivanka steps out in Miami after it was revealed she's split with her brothers and hired her Epstein attorney to fight $250M family fraud suit, Wouldn't you be smiling too? The average time for the Run Back was 60 seconds. For the final part of the journey, sailors from the Naval Brigade manhandled the guns over very difficult terrain. Both sides moved forces to their mutual borders, the British forces in Natal numbered less than 16,000 whilst the Transvaal Burgher army alone totalled nearly 27,000. I am also surprised to discover that a third of the team are officers. The top brass also viewed it as a drain on everdwindling manpower. Both wheels are shifted. And so the Field Gun race has carried on, kept alive by more than 20 volunteer crews. In the final stage, the "Run Home", men, guns and limbers passed back through the hole in the home wall and then the teams "hook up and pull for home". Nowadays runs in less than three are fairly commonplace. No wonder he has a bandage wrapped around what remains of his knuckles. I have managed to gather the above information from a number of sources. At each performance of the Royal Tournament, two crews competed to transport a 12pounder field gun and limber over a series of obstacles. The Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, It used to be a yearly competition at the Royal Tournament. There have been many changes to the competition. The Naval Brigade were soon in action against the Boer artillery; their long range guns were so effective in countering the enemy batteries and holding them at bay that it was not long before Captain Scott was being asked to provide another brigade. This competition involving no obstacles and run on a flat track continues to be competed for on an annual basis at HMS Collingwood as part of the HMS Collingwood Open day. Information on the period 1908 to 1922 is scanty,[3] but it seems that apart from the periods of war the Brickwood Trophy was competed for each year. The U.S. Army tried the long-range gun again from the early 1960s to the late 1970s with the M107 175 mm gun. duration, just to share an atmosphere that can not be found anywhere else in the world. 40K views 10 years ago This is the world famous Royal Military Tournament race. Since about the start of World War II, the term has been applied to long-range artillery pieces that fire at a relatively low angle, as opposed to howitzers which can fire at higher angles. HMS Gannet's win in 1997 took the trophy to Scotland for the first time. Before the First World War the competition was moved from the RN Barracks to Whale Island where it continued until 1973, the following year it transferred to HMS Collingwood, its famously large parade ground reputed to have once held as many as 8,000 ratings is the perfect setting for the event. Over in Portsmouth, the team is considerably older - many are in their 40s - but it includes many veterans of the Royal Tournament and six physical training instructors. In the Royal Navy, nothing beats winning the Field Gun.'. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances (field artillery), as opposed to guns installed in a fort (garrison artillery or coastal artillery), or to siege cannons and mortars which are too large to be moved quickly, and would be used only in a prolonged siege. His eyewitness accounts, from the 1972 Olympic massacre to Desert Orchid's finest hour, marked him out as the greatest sports writer of the age. In 1978 with HMS Fisgard's win the trophy left Portsmouth Command and HMS Gannet's win in 1997 took it north of the border for the first time. 1912 - the chasm was replaced by a single ramp, for both the outward and homeward journeys. When the crew from HMS POWERFUL returned to this country they ran a 4.7 gun through the arena at the Agricultural Hall at Islington in the 1900 Royal Military Tournament and were greeted with wild enthusiasm by the public attending. But on one point, Woolers never budged. Once all the crew and equipment were back on the home side of the chasm, the wire and traveller were dismantled and three more rounds were fired in a rear guard action. By moving the guns from point-to-point during a battle, enemy formations could be broken up to be handled by the infantry or cavalry wherever they were massing, dramatically increasing the overall effectiveness of the attack. Queen Victoria was most impressed and dispatched a congratulatory telegram to the Naval Brigade, who returned home to a euphoric welcome. In the warm-up, he cheerfully barks orders at men who are not just senior in rank, but also 20 years older. Since about the start of World War II, the term has been applied to long-range artillery pieces that fire at a relatively low angle, as opposed to howitzers which can fire at higher angles. 'It would make your day if your lot had won,' says Grassy Meadows, who represented Devonport in three Royal Tournaments. Each gun crew then engages the enemy with three rounds.\r\rThe second section is the run back. \r\rThe third section is called the run home. "We have been on a knife-edge ever since then. This proved most popular and the Navys contribution continued as part of the Tournament, which moved to Olympia in 1906. The trophy left Portsmouth Command for the first time in 1978 as a result of HMS Fisgard's win. The 1907 challenge involved a team of 17 scaling a 5-foot-high (1.5m) obstacle on a 75-yard-long (69m) course and returning. Ex-British Army. Starting from one end of the arena, the teams first negotiated an obstacle of planks fixed 18-inches from the ground. It is estimated that 15,000 men of the Royal Navy have taken part in the competition.\r\rThe gun run is divided into three sections. 'I once scraped all the skin off my knees, but I got to the finish line - which was the main thing.'. The original chasm was formed by placing two ramps opposite each other at a distance of 7ft 6in apart. Once all the crew and equipment were back on the home side of the chasm, the wire and traveller were dismantled and three more rounds were fired in a rear guard action. 'One or two men might think "Hmmm?" in particular with the epic 119 day siege of Ladysmith, where the gallant defenders were helped enormously by the arrival, at the last minute of Captain the Hon Hedworth Lambton of the Naval Brigade with his 280 Blue-jackets, four 12-Pounders and two 4.7 inch guns. The Royal Tournament was last held almost 23 years ago before the tattoo was cancelled, amid reports that the services had become too stretched to spare the 2,500 personnel needed to put the event on for its usual three-week run. These penalties are turned into seconds and these are added onto the final time. From information I have gathered using my collection of Royal Tournament Programmes, the following years are quite relevant to the History of the Inter-Port Field Gun Competition. The Naval Brigade consisted of 750 ratings and Royal Marines and fought with distinction in several parts of the country. All three stages are carefully timed and these are added later to the crew's actual running time to give the official time for each crew. In the final stage, the "Run Home", men, guns and limbers passed back through the hole in the home wall and then the teams "hook up and pull for home". The Guns are then taken round the arena at the double and advance in close order, reversing twice whilst in close order, they then wheel into the centre and Salute.. The Field Gun competition, the Guns and Guts of the Royal Tournament for over 90 years, considered by some to be the world's most dangerous sport, lives on in Devonport's Park Pavilion Caf. They ran the gun through the streets of London to Waterloo Station on their return to Portsmouth. Spot the difference for the Wheel Numbers, though! The M107 was used extensively in the Vietnam War and proved effective in artillery duels with the North Vietnamese forces. The crew set up a wire and traveller so all 18 members of the crew and their equipment could cross the chasm. Displays of field gun drill continued in subsequent years. "I would have hoped that the Ministry of Defence would take it on (financially), but I do understand when the Chief of Defence Staff decides they need an arena where they can display new equipment. Wooden spars weighing 170lb are erected and wires rigged across the 28 foot chasm. A further number of guns were landed and transported overland by the Naval Brigade to relieve Ladysmith. The display consists of various movements carried out by a Naval Battery of six 12-pounder 8cwt. The guns are then taken round the arena at the double and advance in close order, reversing twice in close order, they then wheel into the centre and salute.. Every year for two weeks in July during the Royal Tournament at Earls Court, London, the Royal Navys Inter-Port Field Gun Competition takes place. Most of the tournament's 10-strong permanent staff now face redundancy. the ships company for their part in the saving of Ladysmith. It will be replaced next year by a one-off event at Horse Guards Parade in central London - The Royal Military Tattoo 2000 - which will form part of the UK's millennium celebrations. Close. Their trainer, or 'Number One', is Chief Petty Officer Stu Moss, a Royal Tournament veteran. After a century this spectacle of toughness, courage, discipline and teamwork is still going strong. As soon as the last man of each gun crew - nicknamed the flying angel - is across the chasm, the rig is collapsed, and three rounds are fired in a rearguard action. Lieutenant Commander 'Grassy' Meadows - a Field Gun veteran who went on to become one of the Navy's top physical training instructors - sums up the general sentiment. 1927 - first time one crew were awarded all three trophies (HMS Vivid, Devonport). The course was changed in 1908 with a chasm replacing the plank obstacle. Crews were not permitted to use any additional equipment to assist in transporting the gun and limber across the chasm. Each crew competes seven times against each of the other crews. It seems obvious that the Naval contribution to an event organised by the Army would include their famous guns. The nearest sporting comparison is probably rugby. When the commentator announced it was to be the last time we would ever see the Men of Field Gun, the whole arena showed their anger by stamping the floor or banging their chairs. A precursor to the competition lay in the presentation of Field Gun 'Evolutions' including one performed by Miss Westons Naval Boys Brigade from Portsmouth at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 October 1905 as part of the Centenary Commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar. The limber is lifted, its wheels and drag ropes are shipped and it is run forward. In a matter of seconds the wheels are on, pins are in, and the gun crews race flat-out to the finishing line.\r\rThe average time for the run out is one minute twenty-five seconds; for the run back one minute and for the run home twenty-one seconds. Two crews competed at each afternoon performance. The officers and men of Powerful were soon invited to a number of military and civic receptions culminating in a Royal audience with Queen Victoria where she personally thanked. A similar "Command" Field Gun, is still being run by civilians as Wellington College (cadet-size) and Portsmouth Action Field Gun (full-size). The names of the winners of the trophy are engraved on small shields up to and including 1961 and plates for winners since 1962. The highlight of the concluding day of the last tournament was the final running of the renowned Royal Navy field gun competition. 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A precursor to the competition lay in the presentation of Field Gun 'Evolutions' including one performed by Miss Westons Naval Boys Brigade from Portsmouth at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 October 1905 as part of the Centenary Commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar. The Field Gun Run is a tribute to the Royal Navy's involvement in the relief of Ladysmith during the Boer. In a combined display, Seamen from HMS Excellent and HMS Victory took their guns over two walls and two bridges. Each crew then fired three rounds to end the "Run Out". The track length is also fractionally shorter due to the size of the arena. The field gun race harks back to the relief of Ladysmith in 1900 by Royal Navy gunners during the Boer War. The record was lowered to 1 minute 19.40 seconds by HMS Daedalus in 1988. Each set of kit weighs the same as a family car and each gun must be put together, taken apart and dragged up and down an 83-yard course, blasting off six shots in the process. The original stipulation by Brickwood that the trophy was only open to teams from within Portsmouth continued until 1975 when the competition was widened to include bases from around the country. Sadly all things have to come to an end at some time. In a rearguard action enroute they have to overcome the same obstacles. (The method of abandoning guns during a temporary retirement, leaving them useless to an enemy). Here is a recent video of this competition from 2013, Steadicam Gun Operator Before the First World War the competition was moved from the RN Barracks to Whale Island, where it continued until 1973; the following year it transferred to HMS Collingwood, its famously large parade ground reputed to have once held as many as 8,000 ratings is the perfect setting for the event. This comprised of cutlass drill and gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. In 1992, the services decided that they could no longer free the 2,500 personnel needed to run the show for its traditional three weeks and the tournament was cut to a fortnight, stripping it of financial viability. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. In 1903, a party from HMS Excellent introduced an obstacle into their display. At each performance of the Royal Tournament, two crews competed to transport a 12pounder field gun and limber over a series of obstacles. The names of the winners of the trophy are engraved on small shields up to and including 1961 and plates for winners since 1962. It was Scott, then a Lieutenant, who had helped Captain Fisher (later Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord) establish a Gunnery School on Whale Island at Portsmouth in the 1880s. HMS Collingwood beat this by running a time of 1 minute 18.8 secs in 2001. The Royal Military Tournament of 1900 was held in Islington Agricultural Hall and featured men from HMS Powerful parading one of their 4.7-inch naval guns called Joe Chamberlain. The team and equipment then passed through a hole in the enemy wall at the end of the arena. The display was so popular that it was repeated in 1897 and subsequent years. All that mattered was a winner's medal at the end of the tournament (silver for the winners, bronze for the runners-up). and should it fall a great moral victory could be claimed by the marauding Boer forces. The track is 85 yards long, which means a total run of 170 yards. The average time for the Run Out was 85 seconds. No one is hurt (if they were, they would probably keep quiet). However not only does the entire team have to traverse the course and its obstacles, so does the cannon. HMS Collingwood cut that to 1 min 26.8 secs in 1962. Two gun crews of eighteen men from the commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham took part in the first competition. Gun-howitzers fill the middle ground, with the world rapidly standardizing on either the 155 mm NATO or 152mm Russian (former USSR) standards. 'My rank doesn't matter here,' says Jules. With a 5-foot wall at either end of the arena, the course and conditions remained virtually the same until the end of the competition in 1999. 114. Each section is timed to the nearest one-hundredth of a second and at the end of the three sections the times are totalled. It turns out that a solid, steel handle on the gun mounting has broken. As far as he was concerned, there was one breed of sportsman, one band of brothers, which stood out above the rest. After the demise of the Royal Tournament, the Brickwoods field gun competition was revived as a naval contest.
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