Neil Merryweather
SMF Supporter
Some years ago my brother started investigating our Grandfather’s war record. Thomas Merryweather served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War One and he was present at the Somme, amongst other events. His unit, 100 Siege Battery, was equipped with the 6 inch 26 cwt Howitzer. He had already served 14 years from a boy in the Royal Navy as a gunner when he joined up at the age of 32. He died before we were born so we never knew him. As some may have guessed his picture is my avatar.
This is 299 Siege Battery RGA in 1918- what a motley bunch they are!
My brother Dave is a professional prop-maker for the movies (he made the C3PO outfit for The Force Awakens, among many other impressive things) and he decided to create a CAD model of the howitzer with a view to 3D printing one at 1/32 scale for each of us three brothers. I pointed out that there was already one in 1/35 scale (by Resicast, I think) but he wanted to do it anyway, so 1/32 scale it is. He asked me to sculpt some crew figures, naturally including our Grandad, so I have started a thread for that HERE, but for those who are not interested in sculpting, here are some pics of the model itself
Dave built the CAD model from MoD drawings and reference photos and from measurements we took from a WWII example in storage at the Royal Artillery Museum.
They were identical except that in WWII they had pneumatic tyres. There are very few left in the world and I have photos of one I found by chance in the Military Museum in Lisbon.
The breech even works
Hope you like it, and it will eventually feature in a diorama.
thanks for looking
Neil
This is 299 Siege Battery RGA in 1918- what a motley bunch they are!
My brother Dave is a professional prop-maker for the movies (he made the C3PO outfit for The Force Awakens, among many other impressive things) and he decided to create a CAD model of the howitzer with a view to 3D printing one at 1/32 scale for each of us three brothers. I pointed out that there was already one in 1/35 scale (by Resicast, I think) but he wanted to do it anyway, so 1/32 scale it is. He asked me to sculpt some crew figures, naturally including our Grandad, so I have started a thread for that HERE, but for those who are not interested in sculpting, here are some pics of the model itself
Dave built the CAD model from MoD drawings and reference photos and from measurements we took from a WWII example in storage at the Royal Artillery Museum.
They were identical except that in WWII they had pneumatic tyres. There are very few left in the world and I have photos of one I found by chance in the Military Museum in Lisbon.
The breech even works
Hope you like it, and it will eventually feature in a diorama.
thanks for looking
Neil
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