RCN Saluting Gun HMCS Goose Bay / old artillery connection
 

Yesterday like a moth to a lamp I was drawn down the St Lawrence to the Port of Johnstown (formerly known as Prescott) where HMCS Goose Bay was making a stop on her goodwill trip into the Great Lakes.

She had been in the company of HMCS Kingston who had stooped over in her namesake Town for a visit.

The Kingston class of vessels are fitted with a saluting gun on the port aft deck.

I am not an artillery person more someone with an eye for detail and a love of recording and sharing history.

This was the second day she was in port and had been firing a few rounds on the Saturday.

I was interested in the various components and the lovely crafted makers plates with all the raised lettering and the stamped plates with serial numbers and dates and the like. They are so innocent looking no one on the ship had noticed the date of the part of the pedestal mount.

Can anyone comment on that and the maker?

The day was overcast and photos were a challenge.

and the interesting ones

It's a 6 pdr 7cwt tank / anti-tank gun on a 3 pdr pedestal.

You'll find the Royal cypher on top of the barrel

I've been hands on with those guns a couple of times.

The shells are mostly 1942-1944 dated cases, cut-down 6 pounder AT gun shells.

The mounts themselves are probably from the HMCS Rainbow, but I do not have any means to prove it. They are likely the oldest (115 yrs) artillery equipment still in service in Canada.

The mounts were modified heavily, and if you look closely you can see the welded attachments that have been made to fit with the 6 Pdr barrel stub.

I believe because it has no barrel alignment lug, that it's a ground mount type 6 pdr barrel, vice a tank mounted barrel, but I'm open for correction on that one.

The guns (there are 4 of these mounts and guns in service on the east coast that move from ship to ship) date from 42-45 if I recall correctly.

BradB