Ordnance QF 25-pounder Field Gun, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim

An Ordnance QF 25-pounder stands next to the Carrickfergus War Memorial on Marine Highway, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim. Dating from around 1940, this is an example of one of the most durable and versatile Allied artillery pieces of the Second World War.

The Carrickfergus Field Gun and nearby Churchill Tank are reminders of the local community’s involvement in the Second World War.

The British Army introduced the 25-pounder into service before the start of the Second World War in 1939. It allowed for high-angle fire and direct fire, launching a fairly lethal shell with quite a high rate of fire. The gun’s success led to it remaining the British Army’s primary artillery until late into the 1960s. Some 25-pounders remained in service as training weapons until the 1980s.

By the end of the Second World War in 1945, over 12,000 25-pounder guns such as on display in Carrickfergus were in service. They saw use not only by the British Army but by many other Commonwealth Forces throughout the conflict.