DMS Whittington Field Gun Display

And They Let Me Have A Go

Wonderful afternoon today at Whittington Barrack for the first ever Navy Field Gun Run in Staffordshire. We were treated to a walk through demonstration of the field gun run followed by a full real time run involving 18 personnel taking about 90 seconds to put it together move it take it apart put it back together fire 3 rounds, move it again fire another 3 rounds swap the wheels whilst holding it all in the air and run it to the finish. a massive amount of detailed jobs to do in a tiny amount of time. I have made this sound a lot simpler than it was and have probably missed whole sections out.
The team, we saw today competed last weekend and have trained outside their normal military medical work, during lunch breaks and after work.

SPRINT The field gun competition at the HMS Collingwood Open Day. Picture: Steve Reid (112037-884)

The history of the field gun run dates back to the Boer War and particularly the 119 day siege of Ladysmith, where defenders were helped enormously by the arrival of a Naval Brigade of 280 personal four 12 pounders and two 4.7inch guns. All of which traveled there by land having moved these guns over a number of physical barriers. All of the carriages and mountings had to be improvised there and then. Today we saw a display of the most recent type of race in which the gun is moved along a 85 yard track and then back again. To say is was amazing is an understatement, it was a fantastic display of precision and physical ability.

And to finish the afternoon off they let me and around 70 school children from the local primary school fire the gun, each having a turn. Notice the big grin on my face .

Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Fund Raiser

Bolehall Manor club play host last night to a fund raising event for Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, the place packed it was fantastic to see so many people supporting this cause.

The RCDM provides immediate care and surgery to our injured soldiers and continues to provide rehabilitation care for all those injured in conflict and war. These nurses, surgeons and medics not only put our soldiers back together on the "front line" but they support them back to health on their return to the UK at Sellyoak. they are often the unsung heroes whilst the the media is full of pics of events in far flung lands. These people of performing some of the best medical work in the world.

We all owe a debt of Thanks to these medics and also our thanks to the people in the room last night organising events and raising funds. Often these specific charities are over shadowed by larger campaigns  who also do fantastic work but often get the lions share of fund raising.

It was a privilege to meet some of the team last night and listen to some of their stories and here of some of the patients they have dealt with either in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the world as well as back in the UK at Sellyoak.

Great job being done.