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What’s the go with the artillery gun in the CBD?
The 25-pounder artillery gun outside the RSL Memorial Hall in Nicholas Street looks so at home you could be forgiven for assuming it has been there for many a year.
However, that is not the case, with the gun a relatively recent addition to the historical precinct.
It was moved into place in early 2017 after being restored by boys from Brisbane Youth Detention Centre with the support of the army and Ipswich City Council.
The World War II gun was at North Ipswich for much of its post-war life. Guns of this type were used in the deserts during the North African Campaign between 1940 and 1943 and in the jungles of New Guinea.
After the war several of the guns were used by national servicemen in Ipswich.
It is called a 25-pounder because that is how much the shells it fired weighed. That’s 11.5kg under the metric system.
The gun has a maximum range of 12,253m and was able to fire high explosive anti-tank and smoke shells. It weighs 1633kg and would have been operated by a crew of six in battle.
The gun is one of several war-time items on display at Memorial Hall.
Ipswich RSL sub-branch operates a museum at Memorial Hall, open on the last Sunday of the month (except December) from 8.30am to noon. Admission is free. Memorial Hall is at 63 Nicholas Street, Ipswich.
Watch: The Irish Army carries out a demonstration with a 25-pounder
Watch: the 25-pounder being lowered into place outside Memorial Hall
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Mentions: Centenary Highway · Nicholas Street · Ipswich · North Ipswich
Source: Ipswich First (Ipswich City Council) — CC BY 4.0.