RN Field Gun trials

[Epsilon minus]

I watched this weeks episode of "Shipmates" which featured the field gun trials.

Now when I participated in the Royal Tournament back in the seventies the field gun race between the FAA and Devonport was an amazing demonstration of supreme fitness, agility and mechanical expertise, that took a gun and limber over walls and across a zip wire all at break neck speed. Get it wrong and you got hurt not to mention loose the race.

Now all you have to do is pull the gun and limber across a parade ground. What's all that about then. Can someone out there please explain why the brilliance of the Navy at Ladysmith has been dumbed down.

And for those of you who think that the Navy is going soft, have a look at the field gun team C1900.
It is ! QED :{

http://www.faafieldgun.org/images/Old%20Crew%20leaving%20Arena.jpg

[PPRuNe Pop]

They don't have the Royal Tournament now do they!?

[Epsilon minus]

True but it wasn't the venue the determined the intricacies of the race

[Daifly]

It must be Health & Safety...

I remember the last Royal Tournament at Earls Court they billed that as the last ever Field Gun race.

I assume that some excellent people thought "Nah, f*ck that" and carried it on. But the HSE must've said "you may die" and removed all the entertaining bits!

(Not that it wasn't a pretty good demonstration on "Shipmates")

[AlanM]

I used to go and watch the Devonport FGC doing their "public runs" in the weeks before the competition when I were a lad.

Thought that it is now a very tame version and not a touch on what used to happen (flying limbers/and the whole lot collapsing on the run home)

Blo0dy H&S! :(

[Rakshasa]

Typical isn't? We can ponce about in multi mulion pound aircraft tanks and toy boats, muck about with guns that were all but made in china, not to mention go to some rather unpleasant places in the world.... but do a good bit of skilled drill that might be dangerous?

Nooooo. Good God almighty! :yuk:

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

I think that the Canadian Navy still have a field gun race, but it's not quite so physical as the RN race was - they also had lady sailors in the teams. (well they did all this about 10 years ago!) I believe that the chappie in charge of getting the fieldgun to Ladysmith during the Boer War was a Cannuck.

[donald stott]

Some 4 years ago, whilst serving overseas, I was fortunate enough to earn a place on the Gibraltar Field Gun Crew. The Crew was made up of mainly Army and Navy; however, there were 2 RAF members - myself included. The PT training was extremely demanding and lasted for about a month (twice daily PT sessions). After this, those that were left went on to train on Gun and earn a place. Can safely say that it was the best experience during my 16 year career so far.

In a climate of 'warrior first tradesmen second' we should be embracing such events and using them to develop fundemental skills (teamwork, leadership, followership etc) that set us apart from our counterparts outside the Services.

Zulu Warriors Cry!!!!

P.S. I think Devonport lost (Shipmates on BBC this week) because the pin bounced out...anyone disagree!!!!

[SASless]

From a distinctly foreign view.....having watched several Field Gun Competitions on the TV many years ago....My hat is off to anyone that participated. The American military only wishes it had such a competition. The British military is the loser if it has been done away with.

[Logistics Loader]

I used to watch Devonport FGC too at HMS Drake during their lead up to the Royal Tournament.

However, i don't ever recall the RAF being involved !!!! As was described by the narrator on Shipmates....I know the original copmetition was Devonport, Portsmouth and the FAA guys from Yeovilton, did the narrator get it wrong..

Mind you i did notice a Chief Tech "running" along the touchline during the comp....

[serf]

There is still a field gun race - believe the current holders/winners were not RN - but Army.

[southside]

Serf - thats what this thread is discussing. The fact that it isnt a real Field gun competion but a smaller more PC affair. The real Field gun comp was run over a course with cliffs n Chasm's. This one is run over a flat parade ground.

[GeeRam]

When I was a lad my parents then next door neighbour was ex-RN (WW2 RN Dog-Boat's) and took part in the Field Gun race at the first Royal Tournament at Earls Court back in 1950. IIRC he took part in the following 2 Royal Tournaments as well. I can't now remember which team he was in, but from memory I'm 90% sure it was Chatham depot.
It was strange as he always seemed the laziest of men, and if it hadn't have been for the photos he had you could have never have imagined him being involved in such a feat of physical activity......:}

I dare say he would be far from impressed as to what it has now become.....:(

[MightyGem]

It was a real shame to see Devonport lose after a small mistake,
having shown that they were by far the best team there. They
subsequently won the fastest heat and best aggregate time trophies.

However, it was good to see that the Army were there to capitalise on
their mistake and win the compition.

[Epsilon minus]

Yeah yeah yeah. But the whole point of the race was to exploit the Navy's feats of derring do at the battle of Ladysmith and show the public, as ordered by Queen Victoria, just what the Navy was capable of.
So why dumb it all down to a gun pull across the parade ground. You may as well not have it at all. Watch a video "Making Waves" instead :mad:

[Stafford]

RN Field Guns ?? I understand that to be accurate on land they had to be fitted with three axis destabilisation ? :E :}

[meslag]

Whilst watching the programme the other day i was trying to describe to the girlfriend how different the origional field gun run was (my brother ran in the last ever one for FAA).
can anyone post a link to footage please?

thanks

[BEagle]

Back in the days of black-and-white 2 channel 405-line TV when the Royal Tournament was one of the highlights of the televisual year, the RN field gun race was probably the top attraction. Yes, the King's Troop raced around with several tons ofwalking dog meat towing ancient artillery, the RM band was always superb, but the RN field gun race was a synergy of strength and leadership.

[RubiC Cube]

Browsing my late father's photo album, he was in a RN Field Gun crew that was participating in an event in Salisbury, Rhodesia in the 1930s. That must have been one hell of a trip as his ship was based in Simonstown at the tiem.

[Epsilon minus]

This may be a simplistic notion but It appears to me that fear of the backlash of PC do gooders, dumbing down to appease, the end of the Field gun race are all harbingers of things to come for the RN.
What a shame.

[Background Noise]

The 'big' field gun race was a great spectacle and team builder. I have to admit to being a Royal Tournament addict. However, rather than being for PC or H&S reasons, I think one of the main reasons that the whole thing has been reduced in size is simply one of manning. The old field gun race had personnel detached away for 6 months, with the parent ship covering their absence and supporting them administratively - there just isn't the manpower today. Any RN comment?

[oldbeefer]

Did have it's dangers. My cousin was the one that used to hang on under the barrel as it was swung across the'chasm'. During one event in the (I think) 50s, the barrel detached killing my cousin!

[Wunper]

Check out the FAA FGC web site it has links to the other commands too.

http://www.faafieldgun.org/

Comprehensive brief for "real" Field gunning not Brick-Fielding as shown on the recent TV series.

The public runs at Lee prior to the tournament were always good viewing .

W

[Epsilon minus]

There's no sound to this I'm afraid

The last proper race (http://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/movies/gunrun.avi)

[VitaminGee]

Background Noise , you are right! The original competion simply became unsupportable from a manning perspective. Justifying the absence from normal duty of so many people became impossible - "If you can spare them for that long you don't need tham at all". The present competition is open to all comers - the MOD Abbey Wood Team includes all 3 sevices and civil servants I believe - and uses much smaller and lighter guns and limbers. The course is much simpler and safer to avoid the need for more extensive (and expensive) training.

VG

[doubledolphins]

Had a beer with"One Who Knows" yesterdayand has a finger missing to prove it. (He was the chap in the commentry box in last weeks program.)He tells me that this competion is the old "Brickwoods" competition. Calling it the Royal Navy Field Gun Competion is correct because it is open to all HM Ships and establishments. The old real competiion is the Royal Navy Inter Command Field Gun Competition. The Earls Court commentator dropped the Command bit in 1974 and the name stuck. Devonport, incedentally represented by a team of stokers in 1912, hold all the trophys except the Penalty Cup which is held by the Fleet Air Arm. All the old gear is still in storage and it will be used again. Though we may need a change of Government before it is. So for a while what you saw at Collingwood will continue so we do not loose all the skills needed for the "Toughest Sport in the World." (VG, the guns are the same, they just don't have the fitting for the blocks needed to traverse the canyon.)

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Used to be quite a popular event in South Africa. Broken limbs and concussion were not uncommon.

Saw a drill a few weeks ago by the Military Academy team. :p One determined boy Scout with an air rifle and SA is fecked...

[Seat 17]

On the 'Shipmates' Field Gun episode it was stated that Devonport had never won the Trophy. Did they just mean the smaller 'BrickFields' run or the entire Royal Tournament history? Anyone?

[doubledolphins]

Seat 17 please read my posting two above yours! (I know its long and boring.) Devonport are the current holders of the real thing.

[RigPig]

Even the toned down field gunning has its dangers. I know of two guys from the RAF team this year that got run over by the ammunition limber, thankfully not the gun. One guy had his leg run over at Brickwoods and the other during training at Cosford, for small competition at RNAS Yeovilton. The station commander was watching when that happened and was so concerned about it he spent the next 5 minutes taking the p1ss out of the unfortunate being before the med centre ambulance turned up with crew unable to find all the kit they needed.

It is still hard work but the old competition must have been something else.

RP.

[RileyDove]

Couldn't they scale it up somewhat and use a couple of 105mm's
and a RN Sea King and RAF Puma against each other ?

[Chinny Crewman]

Or use a Chinook that way if the Sea King went u/s we could put both the guns in the back and the Sea King underneath. :ok:

Happy Christmas esp to all on duty wherever you may be.