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The [[Field Gun Run]] was a tribute to the [[Royal Navy|Royal Navy’s]] action in the relief of [[Ladysmith]] during the [[Boer War]] in 1899, when cannons from HMS ''Powerful'' and ''Terrible'' were hauled to Ladysmith by the ship's [[Naval Brigade]] to defend the town against the Boer attack. On returning to [[Great Britain|Britain]], the men of the Naval Brigade paraded the guns through [[London]] and demonstrated their actions at the Royal Naval and Military Tournament. The first competition place at the Royal Tournament in 1907.<ref>''The Field Gun Run'' [http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_gun_run.htm Royal Naval Museum]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref> The competition involved teams from Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) [[Portsmouth]], HMNB [[Devonport]] and the [[Fleet Air Arm]]. Teams from [[Chatham]] dockyard and the [[Corps of Royal Marines|Royal Marines]] also occasionally competed. It has been described as ''"trying to achieve an almost impossible task in a ridiculously short time with too few men on an unsuitable track"'', and ''"the toughest mans' team sport in the world"''.<ref>''Field Gun'' [http://www.wellington-college.berks.sch.uk/page.aspx?id=191 Wellington College]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref> The last official competition took place in August 1999, afer which the Ministry of Defence axed the event due to budgetary constraints. In 2001 the sport was resurrected by ex-field gunners and civilians who wanted to prove a civilian field gun crew had the ability to perform competitive field gun runs using the same drill, the same equipment, and over the same course as their Royal Naval former gunners did for a hundred years.
The [[Field Gun Run]] was a tribute to the [[Royal Navy|Royal Navy’s]] action in the relief of [[Ladysmith]] during the [[Boer War]] in 1899, when cannons from HMS ''Powerful'' and ''Terrible'' were hauled to Ladysmith by the ship's [[Naval Brigade]] to defend the town against the Boer attack. On returning to [[Great Britain|Britain]], the men of the Naval Brigade paraded the guns through [[London]] and demonstrated their actions at the Royal Naval and Military Tournament. The first competition place at the Royal Tournament in 1907.<ref>''The Field Gun Run'' [http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_gun_run.htm Royal Naval Museum]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref> The competition involved teams from Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) [[Portsmouth]], HMNB [[Devonport]] and the [[Fleet Air Arm]]. Teams from [[Chatham]] dockyard and the [[Corps of Royal Marines|Royal Marines]] also occasionally competed. It has been described as ''"trying to achieve an almost impossible task in a ridiculously short time with too few men on an unsuitable track"'', and ''"the toughest mans' team sport in the world"''.<ref>''Field Gun'' [http://www.wellington-college.berks.sch.uk/page.aspx?id=191 Wellington College]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref><ref>''Portsmouth Action Field Gun'' [http://www.portsmouthactionfieldgun2001.co.uk/ PAFG]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref> The last official competition took place in August 1999, afer which the Ministry of Defence axed the event due to budgetary constraints. In 2001 the sport was resurrected by ex-field gunners and civilians who wanted to prove a civilian field gun crew had the ability to perform competitive field gun runs using the same drill, the same equipment, and over the same course as their Royal Naval former gunners did for a hundred years.<ref>''Portsmouth Action Field Gun'' op cit.</ref>
==Background==
==Background==
At the outbreak of the Boer War, the towns of Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith, were besieged. Ladysmith was the most vulnerable of the three towns and had it fallen a great moral victory could be claimed by the Boer forces. At anchor off Capetown were the cruisers, HMS ''Terrible'' and ''Powerful''; the British Commander in [[Natal]], General Sir George White VC, signalled the ships for assistance, particularly long range guns. Captain P. Scott RN of ''Terrible'' was a gunnery expert, and he quickly designed a carriage for 12-pounder naval guns for transit and in action.<ref>''Field Gun''[http://www.jonford.talktalk.net/field%20gun-%20a%20century%20of%20history.html A Century of History]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref>
"Equipped with two 4.7-inch and four 12-pounder guns, Captain the Hon H Lambton, RN, and his Naval Brigade of 280 men from ''Powerful'', marched and fought over extremely rugged terrain with the guns to relieve Ladysmith. On several occasions their speed and skill in bringing the guns into action saved them from capture from the Boers. When their oxen died, the sailors (known as ''Bluejackets'') dragged and manhandled the guns themselves. The public were so taken by these exploits that the Field Gun Run was begun and a course constructed to depict the obstacles and hazards which confronted the ''Bluejackets'' in their overland march. The qualities shown by these sailors were courage, discipline, alertness and tremendous spirit, and these are qualities that tend to be developed during training for this display. Perhaps the reason that this Display has survived into the 1980's is that these qualities are still highly valued in today's modern Royal Navy and still appreciated by the public at large."<ref>''Field Gun: A Brief History'' [http://www.gingefullen.com/book/fieldgunhistory.htm gingefullen.com]. Accessed 7 January 2008.</ref>
==References==
==References==
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