why was the royal naval field gun competition stopped why was the royal naval field gun competition stopped

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. This comprised of cutlass drill and gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. Both at Devonport base, HMS Drake and at Earls Court there was a very subdued atmosphere. In the old days, officers were excluded because they could not take orders from lower ranks. The limber is lifted, its wheels and drag ropes are shipped and it is run forward. The nearest sporting comparison is probably rugby. The chasm returned in 1913 and was extended to a distance of 30ft. The Inter-Command Challenge Cup is awarded to the crew gaining the highest number of points over the fortnight, and this record is held by Fleet Air Arm for gaining the maximum 32 points in 1966 and the trophy is now held by Devonport for gaining 29 points. 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. Audiences are held spellbound as the three commands from Portsmouth, Devonport and Fleet Air Arm do battle in a twice daily race that see two teams of 18 men take a gun and limber that dates back to the last century and weighing over a ton, plus associated equipment over a five foot wall, across a twenty-eight foot wide chasm, through a four foot high by two foot wide hole and bring the equipment into action, to engage the enemy and fire three rounds. The wheels are quick disconnect as well as the barrel. It's just another reason why the Field Gun is still revered as the ultimate sporting discipline within the Navy. The legendary story tells of the siege of the British garrison in the township of Ladysmith in 1899. The "Brickwoods" trophy itself is a reproduction in silver of a 12-pounder field gun and a gun crew of seven sailors. The last night was also a moment Ill never forget. The original chasm was formed by placing two ramps opposite each other at a distance of 7ft 6in apart. Nowadays runs in less than three are fairly commonplace. The 2010 competition will be held at HMS Collingwood Open Day on the 5th of June.[1]. The men not only had to cope with very difficult terrain but they had to construct some sort of way of getting across a bottomless area of land; this is where the present days chasm idea came from. Information on the period 1908 to 1922 is scanty but it seems that apart from the periods of war the Brickwood Trophy was competed for each year. This year Devonport broke the world record when they recorded a near faultless run of 2 minutes 40.43. The average time for the Run Home was 21 seconds. 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". Why hasn't it been banned on health-and-safety grounds? The guns and limbers were then dismantled and carried to the top of a ramp on the home side of a 28-foot (8.5m) chasm. The Royal Navy's command field gun competition was a contest between teams from three 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. Both officers and men received regular training in the techniques of land warfare at the gunnery school, HMS Excellent, at Portsmouth. 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. HMS Collingwood itself has had a good record in the competition, having won the Brickwood Trophy 16 times between 1957 and 2006. 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The remaining three crews participated until the final Royal Tournament 1999. The men who lift the gun are called the 'heavy ends'; the chaps who lift the wheels on and off are 'wheel numbers'; the man on the trigger is the 'firing number'; and the chap who runs around with the ammo is called 'speedy bullet'. All that mattered was a winner's medal at the end of the tournament (silver for the winners, bronze for the runners-up). What's more, Woolers liked to get stuck in himself - be it running with the bulls in Pamplona or risking his neck on the Cresta Run. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. They were soon re-enacting their heroics at the Grand Military Tournament which, in due course, became the Royal Tournament, the annual celebration of the British Forces. \r\rThe third section is called the run home. From the start line in front of the Royal Box, the crews pulled the guns and limbers to the end of the arena where they turned and carried themselves and the equipment over a 5foot wall. 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. Being a charity, it's been a real challenge, and a great triumph that we've got through to the millennium. This is called: Out, Back and Home. It seems obvious that the Naval contribution to an event organised by the Army would include their famous guns. 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 support of the British Army, the Royal Navy landed guns from HMS Terrible and Powerful to help in the relief of the siege. The two weeks of blood, sweat and tears were starting to take their toll and the crew of 99 just wanted to forget about the future without field gun and try to remember all the good times they had at Devonport, Portsmouth and the Fleet Air Arm. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 min 13.4 secs. But when they signed the disclaimer they never expected a man would be killed in the toughest team sport in the world. There was never a shortage of volunteers - up to 300 for each crew. In the warm-up, he cheerfully barks orders at men who are not just senior in rank, but also 20 years older. The clock was stopped as the teams crossed back over the start line. 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 highlight of the concluding day of the last tournament was the final running of the renowned Royal Navy field gun competition. 2nd Advance, 1st Action 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. Throughout the competition the results are signalled to the fleet worldwide where the men follow their crews progress with the same fanatical interest, as they would show in their football team of their choice. 1905 - the seamen of HMS Victory (R N Barracks) added a further obstacle in the form of a bridge, too narrow for the guns to be hauled over in a normal manner. Most of the tournament's 10-strong permanent staff now face redundancy. Two crews competed at each afternoon performance. On 20th July 1999 the Government confirmed what many people had been dreading for months, the fact that the field gun competition would come to an end in August 1999. The second part of the competition (the "Run Back") involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5ft enemy wall and then back across the chasm. The highlight of the concluding day of the last tournament was the final running of the renowned Royal Navy field gun competition. Diversity & Inclusion We empower all our people, by respecting and valuing what makes them different. The news of the relief of Ladysmith was greeted with great jubilation in Britain and Queen Victoria sent a telegram to the Naval Brigades thanking them for their invaluable assistance. 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. The Naval involvement in the Victorian campaigns usually involved the landing of the Blue Jackets of the Naval Brigade with their portable field guns alongside their comrades in the Army. "I'm very sad about it, although I have seen it coming ever since the event was shortened from three weeks to two, which was the reason for the drop in our attendance figures," said Col Ferguson. When Devonport went into the arena to collect their trophies there was not a dry eye in the arena. Perhaps, if they can drag themselves away from their taxpayer-funded plasma screens and patio heaters and get down to Windsor, our lords and masters might learn a valuable lesson in teamwork, public service - and downright courage. The record for the fastest run at the Royal Tournament was set by Devonport in 1999, the competition's final year, with 80.86 seconds for the "Run Out", 58.65 seconds for the "Run Back" and 20.92 seconds for the "Run Home", an aggregate of 2 minutes, 40.43 seconds.[4]. The gun is fired three times as quickly as possible. 1940 to 1946 - 2nd World War, therefore no Tournament, which recommenced in 1947. In 1903, a party from HMS Excellent introduced an obstacle into their display. Each crew competes seven times against each of the other crews. The collapsing sheer legs killed him. In 1896 the first all-naval display appeared in the programme of the Tournament. In 1969 Sir Rupert Brickwood Bart presented the trophy and tankards and a firkin of Brickwood's beer to the winning team. It stopped in 1999. Result From 2001 there will be a new Military Tattoo featuring ceremony, massed bands and pageantry, also at Horse Guards Parade. In addition two five-foot walls were rigged at the ends of the arena. Leadership Leadership is an essential requirement at all levels throughout the Royal Navy. 114. 'It would make your day if your lot had won,' says Grassy Meadows, who represented Devonport in three Royal Tournaments. In 1947 the course consisted of seven "very stiff obstacles" over a distance of 440 yards each way. It's an obsession which has cost him the middle finger on his right hand - 'a training incident, one of those things'. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. By the later stages of World War II the majority of artillery in use was either in the form of howitzers of 105mm to 155mm, or in form of hybrid anti-tank/field guns that had high enough muzzle velocity to be used in both roles. Royal Tournament Programme Collection - Richard Thompson, The Story of the Royal Tournament - Lt. Col. P. L. Binns, The Brickwoods Trophy - Whitbread Historian. The course was then negotiated in the opposite direction with the winner being the first crew to cross the original start line. Both competitions commemorate the feats performed by the Naval Brigades during the Boer War. Currently only Wellington College and Portsmouth Action Field Gun Crews run the 'command' style of Field Gun Run. Having covered every sport on the planet, and all the legends therein, the late Ian Wooldridge could offer a pretty reliable perspective on all things sporting. In 1981 Portsmouth produced a record run of 2 minutes 42.4, only to see it snatched away again two years later by Devonport with a run of 2 minutes 41.1. Rivalry was intense between the Oggies (Devonport), Pompey (Portsmouth) and the Wafus (the Navy nickname for the early pioneers of the 'wet and ******* useless' Fleet Air Arm). Leaving Ladysmith on the 7th March 1900 the sailors of Powerful and Terrible were soon back on board. 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. 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. A spin-off, the Junior Leaders Field Gun Competition, using the Brickwoods format, was held for the 1st time in 2007 and is still held today. 'I'm raring to go,' she says. 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. Close. Up until and including 1905, the Royal Naval and Military Tournament was held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*American Reacts to The Royal Naval Field Gun Competition, royal naval field gun competition, royal navy, royal, naval, field, gun, competition, fleet competition, fleet, devonport, portsmouth, royal naval field gun, toughest competition, Eclectic Beard Gaming and Reactions, gaming channel, reaction channel, gaming, reactions, USPSA competitor, Any questions please email him at [emailprotected]. 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. The dangers and the discipline, however, remained exactly the same. The Royal Marines set a new record in 1924 of 1 minute 24.40 seconds. The trophy left Portsmouth Command for the first time in 1978 as a result of HMS Fisgard's win. 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. 1906 - on the 17th May, the Royal Naval and Military Tournament moved to and opened at Olympia, and the men from both establishments (Excellent and Victory), in a combined display, took the guns over no less than two walls and two bridges. 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. 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. Once in action, they brought down enough withering fire to drive off the Boers and liberate the diseased and starving garrison. 'You leave rank at the side of the sports field,' says Pompey's Number One, Warrant Officer Glen Young. Both wheels are shifted. Each crew then fired three rounds to end the "Run Out". Field guns are incredibly heavy and moving them is dangerous work. The Earls Court event is coming to an end because of. At each performance of the Royal Tournament, two crews competed to transport a 12pounder field gun and limber over a series of obstacles. Sadly all things have to come to an end at some time. \r\rThe field gun run competition first took place at the Royal Tournament of 1907. 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. It was obvious what the Royal Navy could bring to it - the famous band of the Royal Marines and historic Field Gun competition - and last year's Brickwoods Trophy finalists, Sultan and Portsmouth, were invited to take part. [1] A second team, Eastbourne Youth Field Gun, established 2017 and also a cadet-size formation, is the newest field gun formation in the "Command" format. 1908 - the Inter-Port Competition was livened up by the substituting the plank obstacle with a Chasm. But on one point, Woolers never budged. They owed their salvation, in part, to 280 Royal Navy sailors, even though Ladysmith is 100 miles inland. At the end of the two weeks field gunning, four trophies are awarded. The field gun race harks back to the relief of Ladysmith in 1900 by Royal Navy gunners during the Boer War. Team obstacle course competition in the British Royal Navy, https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-soldiers-working-and-firing-a-field-gun-1900-online, "Wellington Field Gun Crew star in The British Military Tournament 2012", "West's Our Navy Videos Domino Broadcasting", "Big Tars Move Big Guns Across Fake Chasm", August 1931, Popular Science, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Field_gun_competition&oldid=1148295804, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2007 HM Naval Base Portsmouth (100th Anniversary), 2014 7 Air Assault Battalion REME (1.20.03), 2015 HMS Heron (With a new record of 1 min 17.69), 2017 7th Air Assault Battalion REME (New record set of 1.16.19), 2022 RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)(1.18.81), 2002 HMS Sultan B Crew (0 Penalties Points), 2017 7th Air Assault Battalion REME (1.16.19), This page was last edited on 5 April 2023, at 08:23. The larger arena allowed the display to be scaled up. 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. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. In 1905, in the centenary year of the Battle of Trafalgar the event was renamed the Royal Naval & Military Tournament. By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail Updated: 17:28 EDT, 8 May 2009. Her worst injury? He reached the home ramp and released the ten-foot spar he was carrying as his drill required and ran on down the ramp. Field guns also lack a specialized purpose, such as anti-tank or coastal artillery. Two days later on the 11th October 1899 at 5pm war was declared and the Boers invaded. Throughout the history of the Inter-Port competition as many as. They were not well-paid. 9-pounder and 12-pounder guns were used in the displays. 9-pounder and 12-pounder guns were used in the displays. Fortunately for the General, Captain P. Scott RN of HMS Terrible was a gunnery expert and he quickly designed a carriage that could hold 6 inch, and 4.7 inch, 12 pounder naval guns for transit and in action. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The race was continued on the return journey, the team first crossing the original starting line being awarded one point; the team which secured the biggest number of points throughout the run of the Tournament. The crews started at one end of the arena and began by negotiating an obstacle of planks fixed at 18-inches above the ground. Information on the period 1908 to 1922 is scanty but it seems that apart from the periods of war the Brickwood Trophy was competed for each year. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. In addition two five-foot walls were rigged at the ends of the arena. Devonport v Fleet Air Arm at the Royal Tournament, Earls Court, July 1988 They were not famous, just household names in their own households. HMS Collingwood beat this by running a time of 1 minute 18.80 seconds in 2001. I am also surprised to discover that a third of the team are officers. It might have been the toughest team sport in the world but it was not good enough for the Government of today. Thank you to the Oggies for this article By Richard Thompson (aka Thommo-the-Phot), This article was first published in a Field Gunners Association Newsletter 2006. And after just a few minutes in their company - during which I tweak a hamstring and nearly get run over - I conclude that Woolers was, as usual, spot on. I have come to the South Coast, with Grassy Meadows as my guide, to watch the preparations. Ex-British Army. And so the Field Gun race has carried on, kept alive by more than 20 volunteer crews. It looks like the cannon is setup purely for this race. 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. But it is not all glory and record breaking as was proved in 1982. Gridiron March and Half-Batteries brought into action. The average time for the "Run Back" was 60seconds. Military Life. Aggregate Time and Fastest Time Cups were introduced in 1924. Crews were not permitted to use any additional equipment to assist in transporting the gun and limber across the chasm. 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. Some members of the crew just sat and stared at their lynch pins, crying. Although the chasm was reduced to 28ft the competition remained fundamentally the same throughout the interwar years. This evening's two-hour training session here in Portsmouth's historic dockyard - the third of the day - is a surprisingly jolly affair. This is a competition rooted in that most politically incorrect of imperial conflicts, the Boer War. Originally mounted on a black ebony stand, this was replaced in 1961 by the current polished wooden base. Often named the "toughest sport in the world", it is a display of teamwork which only the dedicated few can ever aspire to take part in. Today 18 strong teams compete over an 85-yard-long (78m) flat track, a total run of 170 yards (160m). This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 minute 13.40 seconds. 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In a combined display, Seamen from HMS Excellent and HMS Victory took their guns over two walls and two bridges. There are 38 possible contraventions defined that carry a time penalty ranging from 1 to 6 seconds. 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. These are applied as appropriate to each team upon completion of the drill by the event's Chief Judge. The Royal Navy landed two 4.7-inch (120mm) guns and four 12-pounder naval guns creating improvised field guns using makeshift gun carriages. The competition simulates the drill which would have been undertaken to bring a naval field gun into action during the march to Ladysmith. In 1947 the course consisted of seven "very stiff obstacles" over a distance of 440 yards (400m) each way. 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In September the decision to despatch more than 10,000 troops to South Africa from home and abroad was made in London. The average time for the "Run Out" was 85seconds. 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. Some of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who take part in the show are planning to wear black armbands as they go through their paces at Earls Court tonight to mark the passing of the Tournament. 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