why was the royal naval field gun competition stopped

Crews from Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham and Fleet Air Arm competed at The Court until 1960 when the Chatham Crew withdrew from the competition. Why hasn't it been banned on health-and-safety grounds? The remaining three crews participated until the final Royal Tournament 1999. The Royal Navy is a highly skilled multi-disciplinary team and together we protect the nation's interest. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity Field Gun Competition is held annually at HMS Collingwood where 21 crews from units across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force . The Field Gun competition, the Guns and Guts of the Royal Tournament for over 90 years, considered by some to be the world's most dangerous sport, lives on in Devonport's Park Pavilion Caf. In 1912 the organisers removed the chasm from the competition in favour of a single ramp which was negotiated on both the outward and homeward legs of the course. The race is set up with some basic obstacles. I am also surprised to discover that a third of the team are officers. I have managed to gather the above information from a number of sources. 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. HMS Collingwood cut that to 1 min 26.8 secs in 1962. By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail Updated: 17:28 EDT, 8 May 2009. On the night of Devonports last ever run the A Crew stayed in their mess for most of the day and when the moment came they all had tears in their eyes. Posted by. This comprised of cutlass drill and gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. The officers and men of Powerful were soon invited to a number of military and civic receptions culminating in a Royal audience with Queen Victoria where she personally thanked. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In 1912 the organisers removed the chasm from the competition in favour of a single ramp which was negotiated on both the outward and homeward legs of the course. 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. 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. 'Gunga is trusting me to get the shells out of the barrel and I am trusting him with my fingers.'. In 1969 Sir Rupert Brickwood Bart presented the trophy and tankards and a firkin of Brickwood's beer to the winning team. Ladysmith was the most vulnerable of the three towns. Archived. The real Top Guns: Never mind health and safety - Daily Mail They ran the gun through the streets of London to Waterloo Station on their return to Portsmouth. The gun wheels are exchanged with the limber wheels. The Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) have taken over as the main event sponsor but the Brickwood's trophy remains. The race has not been seen since the Royal Tournament ended a decade ago. This was duly done and the new brigade acted in support of General Bullers push towards their besieged comrades. Perhaps the most famous use of the field gun in terms of advanced tactics was Napoleon Bonaparte's use of very large wheels on the guns that allowed them to be moved quickly even during a battle. The record was lowered to 1 minute 19.40 seconds by HMS Daedalus in 1988. Field gun competition - Wikipedia Gunga is an affable chap, but I make a mental note to avoid a handshake. Article. Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.6943, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.5911, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.7122, COMMAND100 - Centenary of Inter Command Field Gun, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 2001 HMS Collingwood - the current record holders with a time of 1 min 18.88 secs. The contingent was soon ready and under the command of Captain H. Lambton RN, the 280 officers and men with two, 4.7 inch guns, four long range 12 pounders and four maxim guns the Naval Brigade as they were now called, left Durban by rail for Ladysmith. The limber wheels are shipped and it is run back and hooked to the gun. Their trainer, or 'Number One', is Chief Petty Officer Stu Moss, a Royal Tournament veteran. The trophy left Portsmouth Command for the first time in 1978 as a result of HMS Fisgard's win. In a combined display, Seamen from HMS Excellent and HMS Victory took their guns over two walls and two bridges. From there the Naval Brigade under Captain Lambton transferred the guns to the last train to get through to Ladysmith before it was besieged for 119 days. 1st Advance, 1st Wheel Change With few exceptions, even the largest siege weapons had become mobile by road or rail by the start of World War I, and evolution after that point tended to be towards smaller weapons with increased mobility. The average time for the Run Back was 60 seconds. 40K views 10 years ago This is the world famous Royal Military Tournament race. HMS Collingwood beat this by running a time of 1 minute 18.8 secs in 2001. The Royal Marines set a new record in 1924 of 1 min 24.4 secs. 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. At anchor off Capetown were the cruisers, HMS Terrible and HMS Powerful, the British Commander in Natal, General Sir George White VC, signalled the ships for assistance, particularly long range guns. There was never a shortage of volunteers - up to 300 for each crew. The average time for the "Run Home" was 21 seconds. 'I once scraped all the skin off my knees, but I got to the finish line - which was the main thing.'. The crews continued to the end of the arena and fired one round. It stopped in 1999. On their return home, the sailors from the Naval Brigade paraded their guns through London and appeared at the Royal Naval and Military Tournament at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. 1925 - Individual Silver Medals were introduced - initial winners being HMS Excellent. In addition two five-foot walls were rigged at the ends of the arena. Crews were permitted to use wires, ropes, spars etc to traverse the obstacle. Throughout the history of the Inter-Port competition as many as. It was at this point that the Royal Navy was called into action. (reason why at the moment remains unclear! The guns and limbers of a four-gun battery were taken over a four-foot wall in the arena at Islington. The programme from the 1896 Tournament states: The guns are brought in and, after a short march around the arena, are cleared for action and one round is fired. 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. The "Brickwoods" trophy itself is a reproduction in silver of a 12-pounder field gun and a gun crew of seven sailors. After a century this spectacle of toughness, courage, discipline and teamwork is still going strong. In 1907, the Royal Navy staged the first Inter Command Field Gun Competition at the Tournament. The average time for the Run Out was 85 seconds. 1947 - Naval Air Command replaced the Royal Marines in the competition, 1949 & 1950 - Final year at Olympia, followed by the first year at Earls Court, 1952 - Bronze medals introduced for the runners up Crews, 1960 - Chathams final year in competition, Pompeys post War Clean Sweeps (of the 3 major trophies! 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. Play it now! USPSA competitor, Any questions please email him at [emailprotected]. The Earls Court event is coming to an end because of. in particular with the epic 119 day siege of Ladysmith, where the gallant defenders were helped enormously by the arrival, at the last minute of Captain the Hon Hedworth Lambton of the Naval Brigade with his 280 Blue-jackets, four 12-Pounders and two 4.7 inch guns. [2]. 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. The need for a long-range weapon is filled by rockets, missiles, and aircraft. Field Guns. Modern gun-artillery such as the L118 105 mm light gun or the M119 105 mm howitzer are used to provide fire support for infantry and armour at ranges where mortars are impractical. HISTORY | royaltournament This comprised of cutlass drill and gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. Up until and including 1905, the Royal Naval and Military Tournament was held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. The crews continued to the end of the arena and fired one round. Posted July 23, 2015 in Guns & Gear, Other Gear & Gadgets by Nicholas C with 10 CommentsTags: Artillery, competition, royal navy. On this occasion, the gun was pulled by 4 oxen who were detached from their harness before one round was fired and the sailors manhandled the gun out of the arena to great applause from the audience. Man power: Robert Hardman (right) trains with the Portsmouth team. The annual field gun competition has taken place at HMS Collingwood in Hampshire. 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 Royal Navy Field Gun competition was contested by teams from the Royal Naval commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm (although teams from Chatham and the Royal Marines have also competed). In 1896 the first "all-naval" display appeared in the programme of the Tournament, which comprised of cutlass drill and field gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. (The method of abandoning guns during a temporary retirement, leaving them useless to an enemy). 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. 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. At the evening performances, The Royal Navy Field Battery Display was carried out as follows: The Evening performance saw the choreographed display replaced by more competition runs sometime before 1928, possibly when the two other trophies were introduced. As the evolution of artillery continued, almost all guns of any size became capable of being moved at some speed. After the war with a different course and drill Victoria Barracks achieved I min 27.4 secs in 1954. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 minute 13.40 seconds. 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. It was considered a high-maintenance item and was removed from service with U.S. forces after a rash of cracked barrels. 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). The guns were reassembled before taking them over a four-foot wall. The Royal Tournament relocated for the final time in 1950 when it moved to the larger venue of Earls Court. Every part of it. Starting from one end of the arena, the teams first negotiated an obstacle of planks fixed 18-inches from the ground. The Royal Navy's Field Gun run is a very unique affair. 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And next week, for the first time in a decade, they will do it before the Queen. The crews started at one end of the arena and began by negotiating an obstacle of planks fixed at 18-inches above the ground. A film clip of this evolution survives from the period[2] which was filmed by Alfred J West for his popular 'Our Navy' film presentations in the early 1900s. 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. 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. Everyone (except me) relishes the cry of 'Drill! Sadly all things have to come to an end at some time. Each crew competes seven times against each of the other crews. The names of the winners of the trophy are engraved on small shields up to and including 1961 and plates for winners since 1962. In the old days, officers were excluded because they could not take orders from lower ranks. This annual spectacular might have done wonders for morale and recruitment but, with the advent of New Labour and Cool Britannia, ministers disliked what they saw as an outdated relic of imperial grandeur. However, instead of checking on the collapsing sheer legs and passing on the outside of them he went through the middle. During this march the guns were in action many times and, on one occasion when the wheel of one of the carriages collapsed, a 12 pounder was carried by the Blue Jackets over two miles to come into action at the top of a hill. \r\rThe third section is called the run home. In 1903, a party from HMS Excellent introduced an obstacle into their display. It's just another reason why the Field Gun is still revered as the ultimate sporting discipline within the Navy. Today 18 strong teams compete over an 85-yard-long (78m) flat track, a total run of 170 yards (160m). 'It is, simply, the greatest team-building discipline there is. The Interport Field Gun competition was established in 1907 and was a highlight of the Royal Tournament until the Last Run in 1999. Since the 1980s and 1990s, the field gun has been rarely used in combat. Military teams prepare for field gun competition - BBC News The Brickwoods Trophy Competition sponsored by Whitbread was instituted shortly after its Big Brother, the Inter-Command Competition was first performed at Olympia in 1907. Video 3 below shows a run between Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm from . At this time the winners' shields transferred to the new mounting, although not in the same order as they had appeared on the previous stand. After the demise of the Royal Tournament, the Brickwoods field gun competition was revived as a naval contest. Both officers and men received regular training in the techniques of land warfare at the gunnery school, HMS Excellent, at Portsmouth. The guns and limbers of a four-gun battery were taken over a four-foot wall in the arena at Islington. The gun is fired three times as quickly as possible. However not only does the entire team have to traverse the course and its obstacles, so does the cannon. 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 track is 85 yards (78m) long, which means a total run of 170 yards (160m). In South Africa at the turn of the last century relations between the Dutch in the Transvaal, the Orange State, the British in the Cape and Natal deteriorated rapidly after a conference held in Bloomfontein, capital of the Orange Free State, to resolve the problems arising form the massive influx of immigration as a result of the discovery of gold in the Transvaal and their claims for citizenship rights ended in stalemate. 114. They owed their salvation, in part, to 280 Royal Navy sailors, even though Ladysmith is 100 miles inland. The teams will be competing for the pride of their respective bases - HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, and HMS Sultan in neighbouring Gosport. The Transvaal Government responded to this major troop movement with an ultimatum issued on the 9th October, with a time limit of two days, that all British forces were to withdraw from the borders of the Transvaal and all the troops which had landed since the previous June were to be moved from South Africa and those on their way from overseas were not to be landed. The display was so popular that it was repeated in 1897 and subsequent years. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? American Reacts to The Royal Naval Field Gun CompetitionOriginal Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32s4qCCFnmk#RoyalNaval #FieldGun #ReactionTo Support the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDv8gGPKXTuyknm_xa9cjJQ/joinFollow me on social media:Twitter: @AnEclecticBeardInstagram: The_Eclectic_BeardFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?Check out these supporters of the channel: Jamie Barnhill: https://www.youtube.com/user/jlb13085IAmSam: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBqMsOCOygbCnSbtlpDEeowYota: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf9kG5Ea6S59ElwKVAW5WvwCopyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for \"fair use\" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. There is nothing quite like the Royal Navy's Field Gun run, a wince-inducing display of teamwork and severed digits. The final curtain fell last night on the Royal Tournament - a showcase of Britain's military power and prowess since 1880. The remaining three crews participated until the final Royal Tournament 1999. The track length is also fractionally shorter due to the size of the arena. All the badges were transferred, but not, however, put back in the same positions. At the sounding of the G on the bugle the final phase is to take all their equipment through the narrow gaps in the home wall. Sailors had to move the guns inland from the coast to Ladysmith so formed teams and raced the guns . 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 5-foot (1.5m) wall. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. 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. The clock was stopped as the teams crossed back over the start line. Once in action, they brought down enough withering fire to drive off the Boers and liberate the diseased and starving garrison. There have been many changes to the competition. This is the heaviest lift of all and life gets very difficult if the gear is dropped 2nd Retire, 2nd Action Gun and limber are run towards the start line, separated and stopped. The 1907 challenge involved a team of 17 scaling a 5-foot-high (1.5m) obstacle on a 75-yard-long (69m) course and returning. In British use, a field gun was anything up to around 4.5inches in calibre, larger guns were medium and the largest guns were heavy. 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. The gun carriage and gun barrels follow, the gun barrels each weigh 900lb. During the period from 1850-1914, the Navy did not fight any ship-to-ship actions, and most British seamen who were on active service in operations did so as part of a Naval Brigade. The winning crew was awarded one point; the crew with the most points over the period of the Tournament was awarded a trophy. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers. No doubt, it is beyond the comprehension of our grasping 21stcentury political class that these servants of the Crown are happy to risk life and limb for nothing more than the honour of their units. This is called: Out, Back and Home. Although the chasm was reduced to 28ft the competition remained fundamentally the same throughout the interwar years. Diversity & Inclusion We empower all our people, by respecting and valuing what makes them different. It seems obvious that the Naval contribution to an event organised by the Army would include their famous guns. HMS Collingwood itself has had a good record in the competition, having won the Brickwood Trophy 16 times between 1957 and 2006. duration, just to share an atmosphere that can not be found anywhere else in the world. The Royal Navy Field Gun competition was contested by teams from the Royal Naval commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm (although teams from Chatham and the Royal Marines have also competed). 'It was like winning or losing the Cup final,' recalls Grassy. The Royal Navy Field Gun competition was contested by teams from the Royal Naval commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm (although teams from Chatham and the Royal Marines have also competed). Upon their entry the newcomers won the Aggregate Time Challenge Cup as well as the Fastest Time Cup. Displays of Field Gun drill continued in subsequent years. 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. The competition simulates the drill which would have been undertaken to bring a naval field gun into action during the march to Ladysmith. Many ex-gunners, or simply a keen supporter of the gun race, will make an annual pilgrimage to Earls Court. The legendary story tells of the siege of the British garrison in Ladysmith in 1899. Over in Portsmouth, the team is considerably older - many are in their 40s - but it includes many veterans of the Royal Tournament and six physical training instructors. As a result, Captain Percy Scott of HMS TERRIBLE was tasked with producing plans for the mounting of two 4.7 guns for use ashore. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Across the Forces as a whole, the result is immaterial. This proved most popular and the Navys contribution continued as part of the Tournament, which moved to Olympia in 1906. The average time for the "Run Out" was 85 seconds. The teams would compete twice a day through the fortnight of the Royal Tournament and the results were signalled instantly to every ship in the fleet. The winning crew was awarded one point; the crew with the most points over the period of the Tournament was awarded a trophy. The chasm returned in 1913 and was extended to a distance of 30ft. The legendary story tells of the siege of the British garrison in the township of Ladysmith in 1899. 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". Charging flat out with a ton of gun and turning it on a sixpence while simultaneously taking off the wheels is still a feat of titanic choreography. In September the decision to despatch more than 10,000 troops to South Africa from home and abroad was made in London. By moving the guns from point-to-point during a battle, enemy formations could be broken up to be handled by the infantry or cavalry wherever they were massing, dramatically increasing the overall effectiveness of the attack. The important things is this: the Field Gun is back. Moment commuter blasts eco-zealots, Student kicked out of school for 'there are only two genders' t-shirt, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, Royal superfans camping on The Mall ahead of King's Coronation, Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Cambridge students party in the park during annual celebrations, Saboteurs wreck Russian train cut power cables 37mi from Ukraine, Hundreds of Household Division members rehearse for coronation, Moment large saltwater crocodile snatches pet dog off beach in QLD, Devastating tornado picks up car and hurls it through air in Florida, Unseen footage of Meghan Markle during her teenage years, Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service. The "Inter-Port" or "Command" Competition was contested by teams from the Royal Navy annually, and was a popular item at the Royal Tournament until finishing in 1999. The team and equipment then passed through a hole in the enemy wall at the end of the arena. 5. The Aggregate Time Challenge Cup is awarded to the crew who has the lowest aggregate official time over the 16 competition runs; the record is held by Devonport at 39 minutes 20.34 and the trophy is now held by Devonport. In 1896 the first all-naval display appeared in the programme of the Tournament. However, this event would never have even started if it were not for a historic event, which happened 100 years ago: The display in its present competition form was started in 1907. inspired by the exploits of a Naval Brigade during the Boer War in 1899. The siege of Ladysmith lasted for 120 days until February 1900. The Naval Brigade transported guns over difficult terrain and brought them into action against the Boers.
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