A rare German 10.5cm howitzer trophy gun from World War One has been rescued from a scrapyard by a museum. The gun is one of only two such short-barrelled howitzers believed to have survived in the UK.
The howitzer was initially given to the village of St Boswells in the Scottish Borders after the war. However, local veteran George Oliver and his ex-service friends pushed it into the River Tweed in the 1930s, reportedly taking exception to it.
It was recovered in the 1980s by local residents, with one of the recovery team, Ian Rogers, taking it home. With Mr Rogers now moving, the gun was facing the scrapyard until it was donated to Great War Huts near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Taff Gillingham from Great War Huts stated that the gun will require significant restoration work, including replacing much of the steel. He added that the 10.5cm howitzers were less common than 77mm field guns, making this survivor a rarity.