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25 Pdr PREMATURE
8 August 1942


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Premature

A gun of the 64th Medium had suffered a 'premature' on 27 July which blew away part of the barrel but luckily only one member of the crew was wounded. On 8 August the gun B2 of 46 Bty, 4th Field, suffered a much worse one while ranging. It was an ugly incident in which Gnr Crowden, the gun layer, was killed and three others wounded, one slightly, and it made other gunners shudder to think of it. The CRA & BM (Captain Hanna) examined the damaged gun carefully at their headquarters and found that the shell had detonated in the chamber and had blown out the barrel and jacket for about 18 inches from the breech block.

Gun Crew: Stan Harding No 1, Alistair Phillips No 2, Pud Crowden No 3, Slim Saville No 4.

From the Artillery Official War History with extra information from Des O'Connor, gun layer on B3, who took the photograph.

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