The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
3 inch Stokes mortar barrel. The barrel is made from ordnance steel and has been split into six longitudinal distorted lengths where the mortar shell prematurely detonated. The barrel is painted black. Markings - STOKES HOWITZER MARK 1, SN 1992; ROVER COMPANY; 11/4/17.
This damaged Stokes 3 inch trench mortar barrel was collected by the Australian War Records Section at Ville-sur-Ancre, south west of Dernancourt in France on 15 June 1918. The barrel shows the damage caused by a premature exploding 3 inch Stokes bomb. In May 1918 the 6th Brigade attacked the village and captured it from the Germans. While at Ville-sur Ancre on 15 June two men from 6 Australian Light Mortar Battery were killed when firing this Stokes mortar. They were Privates James Edwin Ashton and William Stewart McGhee. Private Ashton was a 21 year old labourer when he enlisted on 13 September 1916 and trained with 55 Battalion at Liverpool Camp, NSW. He transferred to 6 Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery (ALTMB ) and embarked with them aboard RMS Osterly on 10 February 1917, arriving at Plymouth in April. He spent a year in England, before embarking for France in April 1918. Private McGhee was a 19 year old storeman when he enlisted on 4 January 1916. He embarked overseas on board RMS Malwa on 21 March 1916 with the 11th reinforcements of 24 Battalion. After training in England he arrived in France in September 1916. He was attached to 6 ALTMB on 12 May 1917 before being transferred permanently to the unit on 25 April 1918. Both men were recorded as being killed on 14 June, but for reasons not noted this was later amended to 15 June. They were buried in isolated graves on a track between Ville-sur-Ancre and Morlancourt. In 1920 their remains were exhumed and reinterred at Beacon British Cemetery at Sailly Laurette, 6 kilometres south of Ville-sur-Ancre.
3 inch Stokes Mortar barrel made from ordnance steel. The barrel is smoothbore and has a fixed firing pin in the base. 3 inch Stokes Mortar barrel as issued to British and Australian mortar units du
3 inch mortar barrel. Muzzle loading, smoothbore mortar barrel made from ordnance steel. The barrel has the base plate stud attached to the breach. The barrel is painted olive drab. Markings - L9306.
3 inch Stokes mortar inert high explosive projectile. The mortar projectile is a steel tube shaped canister with a detonator and firing cartridge holder at the rear end and a fuze mechanism at the fro
Depicts a badly damaged building at Treaux or Ville-sur-Ancre in April 1918. Dyson titled this work 'Street at ....Trench Mortar Posee, Treux or Ville-sur-Ancre'. Will Dyson was the first Australian o
3 inch mortar barrel bipod. The bipod is made from steel and can be folded for transport. The bipod legs are spiked for earth mounting. The barrel cradle has provision for traverse and elevation. The
3 inch mortar baseplate made from steel. The baseplate has a rectangular shape and has four spikes on the bottom of the plate for securing the mortar on earth. the centre of the base plate has a half
