WWII Gun marker

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

We need to create some WWII 25 Pdr Gun marker, does anyone has a picture and or description?
Gilles

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Gilles

'Gun marker'? Not sure what you are meaning: perhaps the 'Post, Aiming, Crosshead, C No.1, Circular Head, Mk.III' and the 'Post, Aiming, Crosshead, C No.1, Square Head, Mk.III' which were carried on the mounting brackets on the face of the shield when not in use?

Mike

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

.There most have been a gun marker to stop and show in what direction to point the gun.
With the 105mm we had a gun marker to show us where to stop near the telescope.
Gilles

[Ed Storey]

Perhaps it is one of these items illustrated in the Identification List for Ordnance, Q.F. 25-Pr., C Mk. II - 1943?

[rob love]

Here are some shots of some of the ones in the RCA Museum. I don't believe a gun would have carried two different crossheads (square, circle or triangle), but these were all we have. I believe, postwar, the number portions were removed and they were merely posts.
The swivel of the numbers is, of course, in the usual British fashion of being heavily engineered.

[Mike Cecil]

Rob,

As I understand it, the practice varied between nations. Brit guns in a two-gun Section had one gun with two round-head posts, the other gun with two square head posts.

Aust guns carried one of each, which meant when working in a two gun Section, a quick swap between guns was done to provide two posts with the same head type to each gun. This meant that guns could be moved between Sections or Troops without having the possibility of two guns in the same Section both having the same aiming post head shape.

Don't know what other Commonwealth nations did.

Mike

[rnixartillery]

I have a pair spare for sale (right side in picture) however I think they would need cutting to post over seas .

Rob....................rnixartillery.

[Rob Abbott]

Rob
PM sent
Rob

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

I want to thank all of you that gave me some answers.
I gest I was not clear enough.
I am not taking about the AIMING POSTS or the ZERO LINE MARKER, because they are put in place after the gun is at the gun position.
What I am trying to find out is
The GPO / TSM made the reccy and planted ‘GUN MARKERS ‘ where they wanted the guns to be situated.
When the gun number one comes on the gun position, he will stop his gun at this GUN MARKER in line with the gun telescope.
This is how we did it with the 105 and 155 mm guns, I am sure the 25 Pdr had something similar.
Merci à tous et j’apprécie votre appui.
Gilles

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

Here is what I was looking for thank to the Garrison Volunteers here it is,
[IMG]c:\Users\Gilles\Destop\Gun Markers2.docs[/IMG][/IMG]

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé

I want to thank all of you that gave me some answers.
I gest I was not clear enough.
I am not taking about the AIMING POSTS or the ZERO LINE MARKER, because they are put in place after the gun is at the gun position.
What I am trying to find out is
The GPO / TSM made the reccy and planted ‘GUN MARKERS ‘ where they wanted the guns to be situated.
When the gun number one comes on the gun position, he will stop his gun at this GUN MARKER in line with the gun telescope.
This is how we did it with the 105 and 155 mm guns, I am sure the 25 Pdr had something similar.
Merci à tous et j’apprécie votre appui.
Gilles

This is why I don't invest a lot of time in answering forum questions as "I am sure the 25 Pdr had something similar" does not cut it and simply shows that you need to do some research into how field artillery was laid during the Second World War. Just because things were done a certain way when you were in the 'guns' does not mean that they were done the same way 50 years prior. Sending out ambiguous shot-gun questions to a forum may provide the answer you want, but at the end of the day you really need to sit down, crack a few books and actually become proficient in the topic before you continue pestering people to do your research. I hope I am clear enough.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

And if you do just that, my experience is that on most forums you’ll get no useful* replies either because you know more about the subject than anyone else there already … Not saying this applies always and everywhere, of course.


* Many of the ones you do get tend to tell you things you already explained yourself, because the poster didn’t read your question thoroughly enough.

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

Hello Mister Edstory, sorry that I offended you in asking a question to the forum.
I guess I was wrong in believing that the forum was to help forum members to find and exchanged answers on military subjects.
That why I add more explanations to my question.
For your information I did do research and I could not find the answer and that is why I asked the question to the great knowledge of the forum members across the world.
In any events thank you for your kind guidance.
Gilles

[Ron Pier]

I also couldn't see anything wrong with the enquiry! I was quite interested to see the outcome. Shame your picture didn't download Gilles. Ron

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

Thank you Ron for your support, if I find the answer I will publish it for the knowledge of all the interested members.
Merci!
Gilles

[rob love]

Gilles
Please do.

In my minor experience with the artillery, you were lucky if you got a piece of cardboard with your callsign when entering the gun position. But I was support. As far as they were concerned we were to park out back far enough they could get us if they needed us but not be in the way.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé

Here is what I was looking for thank to the Garrison Volunteers here it is,
[IMG]c:\Users\Gilles\Destop\Gun Markers2.docs[/IMG][/IMG]

Hello Gilles, if you e-mail the photo to me I will attach it.

Please keep asking questions, that is what the forum is for.

HTH,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here’s the picture Gilles wanted to share:


Source: the Garrison Volunteer site https://www.facebook.com/thegarrisonofficial/photos

[Mike Cecil]

With regard to Gilles question, I asked a friend in Australia, a retired WO1 gunner, about Gun Position Markers and he has replied in some detail from his experience on the 105mm M2A2 and L118 guns.

His reply:

"I am commenting on the post 60s and the M2A2/L5 era but no doubt it would have followed tradition. The gun markers were carried in the CP [Command Post] vehicles, that is one set in each of the two CPs. A ‘coverer’, gun detachment member, from each gun would accompany the reconnaissance group and they would be responsible for ensuring the line from the gun marker to the director was clear. The gun marker was a steel rod with a foot rest to allow you to plant it into the ground. It was about 4 foot long and at the top there was a plate about 6 inches square like a pennant. Each was different colour, the colour would denote which gun was which. The plate would be pointing towards the centre of arc.

When the gun arrived the No1 would remove the marker and mark the spot with the twist of his heel and then bring the gun onto the spot ensuring it faced centre of arc. The markers were local production."

So similar to those shown in the image, but square in Australia.

Mike