RARE WW2 1941 SA / CANADIAN 25 POUNDER (25 PR CAL 87,6MM) FIELD ARTILLERY GUN HEAVY BRASS SHELL CASING NO1 OF 2 ON AUCTION

A 25 POUNDER FIELD ARTILLERY GUN SHELL CASING. IT IS A 87,6MM CALIBER SHELL CASING MANUFACTURED IN 1941 BY ROBERT MITCHELL & CO, CANADA WHICH IS RARE TO FIND. NOTE I HAVE ANOTHER WW2 CANADIAN ROBERT MITCHELL 25 POUNDER BRASS GUN SHELL CASING ON AUCTION THIS WEEK - LOT NO AND SOME OTHER MARKINGS DIFFER.

IT HAS THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA BROAD ARROW INSIDE A U. IT HAS VARIOUS OTHER MARKS WHICH MIGHT INDICATE THIS SHELL CASING WAS REFILLED AND REUSED MANY TIMES BY BRITISH, SOUTH AFRICAN AND EVEN CANADIAN FORCES.

MARKINGS:
25 PR - 25 POUNDER
II - MARK 2 BORE OF GUN
UB - NOT SURE

ARROW IN U - Post 1910 South African Brass Shells Casings can be identified by the Union Mark which is a British broad arrow inside a "U". 
E59 - UNSURE BUT ONE ONLINE SOURCE INDICATES ITS AN INSPECTION MARK
LOT 404 - MANUFACTURERS LOT NUMBER
RM / C - MANUFACTURERS DETAILS ROBERT MITCHELL & CO
(The Robert Mitchell company was the first producer of magnesium castings on the North American Continent and during the second World War was the largest producer of brass cartridge cases for artillery use in Canada.)
1941 - DATE OF PRODUCTION
/|\ = UK Government Property. The broad arrow (or "Devil's Claws") symbol was appropriated by the British government to indicate the item was government issue.
CF - CORDITE FILL loaded with a full charge of cordite
F arrow 90 - Not sure but might be a Cordite Charge Inspection Mark. 
 
SIZE: 87.6MM DIAMETER TOP 103MM DIAMETER BOTTOM 29,3CM HIGH WEIGHT 1,7KG

CONDITION: GOOD CONDITION. WITH PRIMER CAP.
 
25 POUNDER: The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British field artillery gun and howitzer (smaller than a cannon larger than a mortar) during the Second World War. Its calibre is 3.45-inch (87.6 mm). It was introduced into service just before the war started. Initial production was slow but, by 1945, over 12,000 had been manufactured. It remained the British Armys primary artillery field piece well into the 1960s. The 25-pounder was probably the most outstanding field artillery piece used by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War, being durable, easy to operate and versatile. The 25-pounder, one of the most effective and iconic artillery pieces ever used by the Canadian Army, was also Canadas standard field gun during the Second World War and the Korean War.
 
The 25-pounder was separate-loading; the shell was loaded and rammed, then the cartridge in its brass case was loaded and the breech closed. In British terminology, the 25-pounder was called quick firing (QF) originally because the cartridge case provided rapid loading compared with bag charges, and was automatically released when the breech was opened.
 
After the Second World War, 25-pounders remained in service with many Commonwealth armies into the 1960s. The gun was called G1 by the South African Defence Force. It was extensively used in the early stages of the South African Border War (1966-1989) including Operation Savannah. The Rhodesian Army used the weapon during the Bush War (1964-1979) but by this stage the round could not penetrate enemy bunkers.
 
Why is it called 25 pounder? The 25 Pr was a field artillery gun firing a shell weighing 25 pounds (11.3 kg), hence the name 25 Pr. It was mounted on a 2 wheeled carriage utilising a circular firing platform.
 
MK2/1 BARREL: The Mark II, fitted to the Mark I carriage was the standard gun during the war. They were built in Australia and Canada but mostly in UK. Deliveries (from UK production) started at the beginning of 1940 and first entered service with a Canadian regiment stationed in UK during May 1940. Amazingly No Ordnance 25-pr Mk 2 on Carriage 25-pr Mark 1 were lost in France. 
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE ANOTHER 25 POUNDER WW2 ARTILLERY GUN SHELL CASING ALSO ON AUCTION THIS WEEK. COPY THE URL UNDERNEATH AND PASTE INTO GOOGLE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO ALL MY LISTINGS THIS WEEK. NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY.
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