Here you can see that the gun has now been moved forward to its firing position.
Having collected the shell, the two men return to the gun and load the weapon.
With the crew standing clear, the signal is given for the gun to be fired. The process involves the use of a Friction Tube, as seen earlier in this article.
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With the gun having been fired, I ventured near for a closer look. In the picture on the left you can see the various implements used to load and clean the gun in between shells.
And finally, some members of the gun crew pose for their photos. Smile please!
* * *
And so this brings me to the end of this series. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Fort Nelson, especially since entrance is free, and indeed a walk around any of these Forts is a fascinating experience.
I sincerely hope you have enjoyed this series of articles and that you will join me for future battlefield and museum tours here at ACG.
Links:
Palmerston Forts Society
Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson
Purbrook Bowmen
To view the complete set of images from my visit, go to the ACG image gallery here.
Discuss this article in our Forums here.
A J Summersgill
andrew@armchairgeneral.com
