RAA LIAISON LETTER 2025 – 2026 EDITION CANNONBALL SUPPLEMENT 122 Television Interview with Colonel Howard DRA - Subject - An Artillery Link with the Past Colonel Howard, I have noticed this fine looking centre piece gun on your desk in Canberra on a number of occasions. I am told it has quite a history – Could you tell me a little about it. Yes, it does have an interesting and historical background. I brought it at an auction sale in Melbourne after it had been seen by a fellow officer. Inscribed on its barrel is “To Major MF Downes Royal Artillery from his class of Instruction - Woolwich 1877 Major Downes was an instructor there? Yes, he was an Instructor in Gunnery there at that stage, but his later service provides his link with Australia. He left England as a Lieutenant Colonel in the year of the presentation in 1877 to become the Commandant of Military Forces in South Australia remaining there until 1885. He then served alternately in South Australia and Victoria until his retirement in 1902 as a Major General after being the Commandant of Military Forces of Victoria. He died in Melbourne in 1923. What sort of gun is it? It is a beautifully made model of a 40 pounder Rifled Muzzle Loader which fired a shell 4.75 inches in diameter. These mizzle loaders were the vital stage in the evolution from the smooth barrel muzzle loaders which tired round shot to the breech loading rifled guns of today which of course fire elongated shells. Is that an exact replica of 40 pounder? I believe so. After getting the model out of the auction, how did you get all the background data? We wrote to the Royal Artillery Institute at Woolwich. They have amazingly detailed records of such things. Was the gun mounted like this when you got it? No. A Gunner officer mounted it on this wooden base which incidentally has a history of its own. It is a piece of cedar from the original ledger desk of the National Bank of Australasia at Euro which was held up by Ned Kelly and his gang in 1878. Incidentally this was about a year after Major General Downes arrived in Australia. End of Interview Major-General HF Downes, CMG – Career Timeline Born - Dedham, Essex England on 10 February 1834 Service • Entered RMA Woolwich - 1848 • Graduated RMA Woolwich and commissioned RA - 1852 • Served in Quebec - 1853-54 • Crimea 1855-1856 and was in the “Siege of Sebastopol” • Commandant RA Mauritius - 1862-1865 • Commandant RA Saint Helena - 1869-1871 • Instructor in Gunnery Woolwich - 18711877 • Commandant of Military Forces South Australia - 1877-1875 • Secretary of Defence Colony of Victoria - 1885-1888 • Commandant of Military Forces South Australia - 1888-1893 • (No record of his activities in Australia between 1893-1899 • Commandant of Military Forces of Victoria – 1899-1902 • Retired - 1902 • Honorary Colonel Commandant RAA, Fort Largs South Australia – 1902-1923 • Died at residence of daughter, Mrs EH Irwin at Brighton Victoria on 15 October 1923. Promotion History • 2nd Lieutenant 1852 • 1st Lieutenant - 1854 • Temporary Captain - 1859 • Captain - 1868 • Major - 1872 • Lieutenant Colonel - 1877 • Colonel - 1881 • Major General on Retirement - 1884
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE4NTMz