The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Although 'Australian 9.2 howitzer' was painted in 1919, immediately after the war, it clearly represents a scene from the last phase of the fighting. The centrepiece is a large howitzer, the heaviest gun used by the Australian siege batteries. It is appropriate that Longstaff recorded the artillery because massed artillery barrages, with infantry and tanks, were an essential element in finally breaking the stalemate on the Western Front. The howitzer was a hard taskmaster for the artillerymen. Longstaff's painting shows four gunners straining to ram home another shell. The men are stripped to the waist, reflecting the exertion of their task and the hot, dry weather that was so characteristic of that time. The gun and artillerymen have been portrayed hidden under camouflage netting. The shade emphasises the sinister bulk of the gun and contrasts sharply with the surrounding brilliant sunlight. For Longstaff this would have been a familiar scene, as he would have been trained in camouflage work and was officer in charge of camouflage for the 2nd Division, Australian Imperial Force. The camouflage was an essential precaution at this stage of the war, as each side tried to conceal the nature and extent of its artillery.
This was the standard British and Commonwealth heavy howitzer used on the Western Front during the First World War. It was a very stable, accurate weapon, with quick traversing gear, rapid rate of f
Sectioned 9.2 inch Shrapnel Howitzer shell. At top are two 23mm thick lines in light brown paint. Also stamped in white paint is "9.2". There is a 45mm thick copper driving band at the bottom. The sh
Projectile laoding tray made from steel. The loading tray is designed to support a projectile on a loading hoist to aid the projectile being loaded into the breech before the artillery piece is prepar
4 Spoke, quick loading gear hand wheel made from brass. The handwheel is located on the right side on the craddle. The hand wheel rim is of a hollow folded design which has four wooden inserts located
This sectioned shell has a 75mm thick copper driving band at bottom. Although scratched in part and revealing the brass underneath, traces of the original mustard yellow paint are still visible. Stamp
Collection relating to the First World War service of Captain William Frederick Longstaff, Official War Artist, France, United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa, 1904-1958. Collection consists of