Memorial Weaponry
The troopships that brought the soldiers home from Europe and the Middle East after WW1also contained the 'spoils of war' namely weapons captured on the field of battle; for the most part these comprised field guns, trench mortars and machine guns. Generally these shipments were arranged by the Australian Govt.who then allocated them to the various State Govts. for distribution to War Memorial Committees who wished to mount them at the Memorials they were constructing. To handle the allocation of these weapons a State War Trophy Committee was set up, any town requiring a trophy had to nominate as Trustees for the trophy three prominent resident who then had to apply on a standard Form and agree to the following conditions:
(a) Arrange for it to be permanently housed in a public park, garden or building within the town, whichever may appear most suitable, and for it's subsequent preservation and safe custody.
(b) Arrange a simple ceremony at which it will be formally taken over.
(c) Bear all expenses connected with transport and installation after arrival at the nearest railway station.
Individual units also returned with weapons they had captured, in Western Australia the 10th.Light Horse appears to have been the only unit to do so with several field guns they captured in the Middle East Campaign. After WW2 large scale shipments of enemy weapons did not occur and none appear at W.A. Memorial sites although some sites do have Allied WW2 weapons including the Torpedo at the U.S.Submariners Memorial at Fremantle and a number of field guns supplied by the Australian Govt as surplus to their requirements . Two sites, Narrogin and the Boer War Memorial in Kings Park, have pre-WW1weapons. The following is a list of Memorial Sites that have or had weapons:
SITE |
WEAPON |
Brookton
War Memorial |
WW2 25pdr.Field Gun - on site |
Boer War
Memorial, Kings Park |
Krupps 75mm. Field Gun - on site |
Bassendean |
German Field Gun sited at original Memorial site as shown in Photo circa. 1920, present location u/k |
Cannington |
Two German machineguns mounted on top of Memorial, removed during WW2, present location u/k |
Corrigin War
Memorial |
Krupps 75mm. Field Gun captured from Turkish Army by 10th.Light Horse - on site |
Coorow Memorial Hall |
WW2 25pdr.Field Gun - on site |
Dumbelyung War Memorial |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
Donnybrook War Memorial |
German Trench Mortar - on site |
Guildford War Memorial |
2 x WW2 25pdr. Field Guns - on site |
Katanning War Memorial |
Krupps 75mm. Field Gun - on site |
Kellerberrin |
German 75mm.Field Gun, last seen school playground present location u/k |
Kirup War Memorial |
WW2 25pdr.Field Gun - on site |
Koorda War Memorial |
Skoda 75mm.Mountain Gun - on site |
Moora War Memorial |
Krupps 75mm. Field Gun - on site |
Mundaring War Memorial |
German Machinegun - present location u/k |
Narrogin War Memorial |
Victorian 9 pound Muzzle Loading Field Gun, 25pdr. Field gun, 40mm Canadian manufactured Bofors anti-aircraft gun believed to have been used in the defence of Darwin - all on site |
Pinjarra |
German trench mortar at original Memorial site - present location u/k |
Rockingham War Memorial |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
South Perth War Memorial |
German 170mm trench mortar - on site |
Tobruk Memorial,Kings Park |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
Wongan Hills War Memorial |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
York War Memorial |
Krupps 75mm. Field Gun - currently being renovated by Artillery Historical Society.Returned to York in 2006 and now kept in the York Shire Depot. |
10th Light Horse Memoral, Kings Park |
Krupps 75mm.Field Gun, removed to Irwin Barracks in the 1970s for renovation, present location u/k. Might be the one currently located at Corrigin. |
'The Wall', Port Hedland |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
Truscott Memorial Club, Exmouth |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |
Broome War Memorial |
Krupps 75mm Field Gun No.165, now in Broome Museum |
Gunners Memorial, Birdwood Parade, Nedlands |
WW2 25pdr. Field Gun - on site |