Friday, 28 June 2024
By Kim Hardie
HM Naval Base Clyde Field Gun Crew put on a show for Base staff, families, and friends when they completed the annual Public Run just outside the South Gate this week.
This year there are 31 Royal Navy sailors and marines in the crew, which includes a medic, a physio, track judges and timekeepers. Together they will compete in the Brickwood’s Field Gun Competition which starts at HMS Collingwood on 1st July with the final on the Saturday 6th July during the site’s open day.
Commander (Cdr) Gareth Batsford, the Field Gun Officer for Clyde was there to support the team and watch their progress.
“With just eight days to go until the Brickwoods Field Gun Competition, the crew remain in good spirits and are quietly confident of bringing some silverware home this season,” said Cdr Batsford.
“This week’s public demonstration was the highlight of our season so far and it was a privilege to be able to invite friends, family, colleagues, and our sponsors along to see the progress we have made.
“For the newest members of the crew this was their first opportunity to perform in front of an audience and is a vital part of preparation for the competition.”
Cdr Batsford also gave special thanks to the team sponsors who are Babcock, Bowens Fluid Engineering, Lockheed Martin UK, Pure Storage, Roll Royce Submarines, Thales, and We Remember Submariners.
The traditions of the Field Gun competition date back to 1899 and simulate the Naval Brigade’s heroic mission to relieve the besieged British Army during the Second Boer War.
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.
The six field guns, each weighing nearly half a metric tonne, were carried over rough terrain to assist their opposite numbers in the British Army.
The Brickwood’s competition began in 1907 and was the idea of Sir John Brickwood, Chairman of the Brickwood Brewery. Initially it was only open to Portsmouth crews and the first trophy, a silver replica of a 12-pounder field gun mounted on a black ebony stand, was won by the Royal Marines Light Infantry Field Gun Crew from Forton.
The competition opened up to units from around the country in 1975 and the trophy left Portsmouth Command for the first time in 1978 going home with the HMS Fisgard team. It wasn’t until 1997 that the trophy came north of the border to Scotland for the first time with a win from HMS Gannet.
Let’s hope we can bring it back to Scotland this year with a win from our own HMNB Clyde Field Gun Team.
A selection of images of the HMNB Clyde Field Gun Crew in action.