Historical Specifics:lide-Out Panel 2

The gun was allotted to Casino in 1920 and unveiled in front of the Drill hall by the Mayor in December 1920. An article in the local paper advising that the gun had been allotted appeared in September 1920 and informed the reader the gun had been captured by the Australian Light Horse during operations in the Palestine campaign of 1917-18. It went on to say the gun would be  ‘a grim reminder, if it were needed to remind us, of the greatest and bloodiest conflict the nations of the earth have ever engaged in. And yet it will symbolize more than that – it will stand as a momento of the victory won for us at an appalling sacrifice of life and property – a sacrifice about which the memory of some people is all too short.’

This gun is unusual, not for what it is but for where it was captured and from whom. In all probability the gun was captured from a German Battery supporting the Turkish force. The Australian Wat Memorial records in the war diaries AWM4-24-32-24 3 Australian Machine Gun Squadron on page 8 of 13 pages “Lieut Patterson with A Sub Section was ordered (? Word is unclear) by CO 10th LH Regt to advance to the South of JENNIN and guard the NABULUS Road. He was informed he would find two troops 10 LH Regt holding the road. (This however proved to be incorrect as no troops of 10 LH Regt were holding the road at the time.) He pushed on but could find no trace of 10 LH Troops. He however came upon about 3000 of the enemy and 4 Field Guns….”.  On page 708 of the Official history Volume VII – The Australian Imperial Force in Sinai and Palestine, 1914–1918 (10th edition, 1941) this incident is also mentioned. It shows there were Germans in the group. AWM photo P00225.002 (attached) shows a German artillery unit in Palestine and though the photo is not clear it certainly looks like the type of gun at Casino.  We hesitate to claim the Casino gun is one of the four captured by Lt Patterson but there is the possibility.

At some time the gun was moved to the Council Depot, possibly because of its deterioration and safety issues. However, the gun still exists and it is understood is to be restored for which the Council is to be commended.