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Field Gun Battery at HMAS Cerberus Harry De Wheels - The pie caravan Johnnies About the old institution Money Changing by Derek Smith Field Gun Battery HMAS Cerberus by Frank Shugg From 1920 to1955 the Field Gun Battery in HMAS CERBERUS consisted of six 12-pounder guns and limbers. The limber was the detachable front of the gun carriage with an ammunition box mounted on an axle and two wheels, a long wooden centre pole and cross bar at the front for steering. The gun had a three-inch barrel with an interrupted screw breach block weighing eight hundredweight (approx 800 lbs or 406 kgs) a quick firer, the charge being contained in a brass cartridge case. Both the gun and limber were fitted with two 42-inch artillery wheels (a spare carried on the top of the ammunition box for races). To move this carriage different lengths of 'drag ropes' were attached with a loop at the end to go over the arm of the sailor. The guns were used mainly for ceremonial occasions and funerals. Old hands will remember the long drag at the slow march from the chapel in the drill hall to the cemetery at Boot Hill on the eastern boundary of HMAS CERBERUS. In November 1926 at the Police Carnival in Melbourne a gun drill competition was introduced and a trophy presented by the wardroom to the winner the Ordinary Seaman's Gun Crew. The competition continued over the years between branches and the rules changed somewhat until the last performance in 1955. To provide entertainment and show off the maneuverability of the gun and the strength of manpower, a course was designed to test the skills to be developed by the crews including physical fitness to be competitive against other departments and the clock, and not get injured in the process, an understatement. Training was from 0700 to 0800 weekdays and only two badge men were excused from 'volunteering'. In 1955 a Commissioned Writer Officer Nick Carter was in charge Once you got he hang of what was needed to move the limber and gun you were introduced to the course out on the playing field at the back of the gunnery school. The gun's crew took up their allotted positions around the gun and limber dress of the day no'8's (working dress) heavy boots negative caps. (At this stage the 'volunteer' training squad was the same size or larger than the operating numbers because of varying injuries sustained along the way). At the command up pole and drag ropes the crew with sailors front and side took up the slack and moved forward to the starting line.
Once over and hooked up another dash to a marked area about 25 yards ahead, stop, take the spare wheel off the limber and change the right wheel secure the spare on the magazine box and off again for another 25 yard dash and stop. Unhook the gun swing it round to the front load fire two blank rounds at a wall purporting to be about ten foot high to 'blow' a hole in the wall in order to proceed through at a distance of about 25 yards. For appearances and excitement a two-foot gap was prepared and covered and an explosive and smoke device rigged by the gunnery staff to achieve the desired effect of a direct hit second shot. Don't wait for the smoke to disperse hook up and run to the gap in the wall, because the next achievable part of the exercise was to dismantle the limber and gun get it through the hole in the wall together with all sailors assemble the unit and run for the last 50 yard dash to cheers if victorious and a well earned rest providing everything was in one piece including the sailors. At each stop area there was an umpire to oversee the procedure which overall took about six minutes. The crowd loved it, the competitors, sick bay staff, chippies and gunnery school staff welcomed the final run. This last run was a special achievement for the S&S Team its first and only victory. I know I was there on the steering cross bar. Coincidently a member of the first Ords crew in 1926 E.Vollmer, was still serving as a Commissioned Stores Officer.
The diagram on the left shows a typical course which is used in the UK for field gun competitions. Return to top
Harry De Wheels
Johnnies The sailors from all the ships in town arrived in a constant stream Dressed in No. 2's and their best tid gear, spit polished shoes gleaming. A cab pulled in with the Kirribilli gorilla from a pub up around the Cross She filed through with some other sheilas, the crushers not caring a toss. Doctors advised her against a bra after examining her special case that way the weight of her tits would pull the wrinkles from her ugly face The sailors knew her well and warned newcomers against getting close She's as welcome as a fart in a phone box and known to pass on a dose Around two thirty the joint was crowded, the place was in full swing Full as a seaside dunny on boxing day, the sailors all doing their thing If you turned your back your beer disappeared, the sheilas you couldn't trust. Most were there for all the free booze, others were there for lust Lenny the Loop and Jeff the Jaw selectively buying the sailors a beer. Trying to con some drunken OD, their objectives plain and clear. The room was loud and full of smoke the sailors were having fun Most sang along as the juke box again played the House of the Rising Sun We need a volunteer for the dance of the flamers who thinks that he is able? One drunken figure with bleary eyes began climbing on the table His bell bottoms already around his feet and being assisted by some joker A sailor with such a hairy behind like his has got to be a stoker. Two of the sheilas braved the crowd and climbed up alongside to take part. The paper burnt right down to the end the extra methane fanned the flames The stoker's arse was doused by a jug of beer but none wasted on the dames The Kirribilli gorilla was drunk and upset and looking for a place to sit. Come on you bastards, come pour me a beer I'm as dry as a witch's tit. One drunken pommy bought her a beer plus a fiver that he gave her, it'll take him six weeks to get over the dose she returns him as a favour. And Shiner looked up as he emptied a jug as we joked about whose turn to shout. In time these days we'd never forget, I fell silent as I looked about. Suddenly the picture loses all sound as I remember mates from past days Sunday at Johnnies the memories of faces fade to little more than a haze Aahhh! JOHNNIES!!! The good ol' days (& nights) Return to top Of all the jobs Writers were required to do during my time, especially when deployed overseas, the task of changing the Ship’s Company’s Australian money into the local currency was the most traumatic. Of course, it was - and is very necessary to enable the ship to retain its Australian Currency without having to replenish cash through the mails or by diplomatic bag - or whatever. I am unaware of the present arrangements for ensuring sailors have money for a run ashore in a foreign port, when all personnel are paid by electronic transfers into their Bank Accounts and no actual cash changes hands each payday. In my era, Officers and Sailors were paid their entitlements (after tax, DFRB, allotments etc) to the nearest ten shillings, with the minor balances carried forward in their Pay Card to the next pay period. Sailors could then buy from the Canteen or bank into a bankbook account, their cash with the Supply Officer, who was an agent of the Commonwealth Bank. Thus, all Australian notes on board would, in theory, eventually return to the Supply Officer who would transfer non-public moneys to public moneys and account for every penny. When we were due to enter a foreign Port - Let us choose Hong Kong as a good example - The SO would ascertain the Official Exchange rate Australian pounds vs Hong Kong dollars. The senior Writer sailor would then compile a local money change form which required the Killick of the Mess to group his mess on the form. Each sailor would have to decide how much local currency he wanted to buy and the Writers would have to work out the equivalent in local dollars, making sure there were no mistakes and reconciling each form, then the total number of forms. His overriding task was to ensure that public moneys did not make a loss on the transactions. At the same time he was told that any profit had to be kept to the very minimum, with whatever profit was unavoidable, being paid into the Ship’s Fund. Readers should remember that ships had no computers or electronic calculators, spreadsheets had not been invented. If a ship was lucky, it had a mechanical adding machine with a handle on the side which was capable only of adding a column of figures fed into it individually. Etched into my memory is the official exchange rate for Hong Kong and for Singapore in the early 60’s ie before decimal currency in Australia:- 1 Hong Kong dollar = A1s 6.80635d, 1 Singapore dollar = A3s 2.34547d. So, we had to do our calculations by long multiplication and long division. Somehow we were successful, mostly in a very short time. Very seldom did we have a problem later discovered. Then, following a paper reconciliation, the Supply Officer had to write a Bill of Exchange on the Commonwealth Government for the sum of local currency required and in the bill denominations required to ‘put up’ each mess member’s requirements. Off he would go as soon as alongside, or in the first boat, to the branch of the local government bank, exchange the bill for local notes - usually grubby, smelly, disgusting bits of coloured paper which, in some cases looked as they had been secreted in unmentionable places. Then we would put up each mess’ requirements in the office, with frequent dips of fingers into sponge bowls filled with dettol and with watchkeepers from the ‘hole’ hammering on the door, because they wanted to get ashore to the nearest pub to quench their thirst. Unfortunately, they had to wait until the last note was used to ensure that a mistake had not been made somewhere along the line. Sound familiar??? Pity the poor Writers - but nobody did!! Return to top
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The origin of the Naval Field Guns goes back to the days when the Royal Navy was called upon to wage war in foreign lands at short notice. When this requirement arose a Naval Brigade was formed and landed. A brigade really meant a party of armed sailors up to 50 men to which a field gun was added, because it could be smartly moved about the countryside by a crew of 18 sailors (This was the theory). Field Guns varied from time to time but the Navy favoured the 12-pounder after a successful siege against the Boers in 1899.
At the command go full speed ahead was achieved for about 25 yards and then a right about turn straighten up for another 25 yards to face a thick wooden wall over four foot high. The gun and limber had to be lifted over this wall. To achieve this at a given spot the gun was detached under way sailors dispersed leaving the two steering crew to jump up onto the wall swing forward whilst the sailors lifted and pushed the limber over before the arrival of the gun because that was to follow.
My opposite number on the limber was Marty Minogue whose utterances I will not forget "we're gunna get killed - we're gunna get killed". As I cannot remember all the names of that magnificent crew I shall not name a few but once again congratulations to all the crew on the final day and the wounded for their participation. I hope this revives a few memories. 
as moved and is more upmarket than those days
- Royal Naval House otherwise known as “JOHNNIES”