mmm45 Posted 17 February , 2006 Share Posted 17 February , 2006 Is this weapon the infamous West Spring Gun or another variation of the theme.A Troop of RMs at Gallipoli in 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester terrier Posted 17 February , 2006 Share Posted 17 February , 2006 Looks like a version of the Gammage catapult, manufactured by Gammages department store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger Posted 17 February , 2006 Share Posted 17 February , 2006 That isn't the west Spring Gun I've seen before. It looks like a extemporised launcher of some sort. I'll see if I can find a pic of the West. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 17 February , 2006 Share Posted 17 February , 2006 It's a catapult based on the Leach design. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 17 February , 2006 Share Posted 17 February , 2006 Hi If I get this right this is the west spring gun in store at Duxford Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmm45 Posted 18 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 18 February , 2006 Hi If I get this right this is the west spring gun in store at Duxford Gareth Thanks everyone it looks they do look like weird contraptions and "Double edged weapons" were there frequent caualties on the user of these weapons due to accidents? Ady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 Hi This is 3 photo's of the West Spring Gun at the Southen Army Bombing School the unit is the 2/6 Manchester Regt around Sept 11-23 1916. The other is a Trench catapult. Cheers Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 I've always wondered why we would want to fire west springs [whatever they are] at anyone. Joking apart, nice thread, lovely pictures. See also 'Weapons of the Trench War 'by Anthony Saunders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 and, dare I add, in the margins, that the humble 'catapult naughty boys for the use of', could occasionaly maim the user. My grammar school [being a Grammar school!] also majored in the sling-shot [sir, its biblical, and we wanted to test one] and the boomerang [sir, its geography AND history and Science] not to mention the blowpipe. This latter was: a drinking straw, a match, and a darning needle inserted into the plain end of the match. Deadly accurate at 10 paces, and penetrated many a trouser seat with noisy consequences. How we survived, I know not. But fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 Hi Roy I am afraid the catapult won't work as in the picture of it tied to the gate, so I suspect you are looking a visual joke. Here is a picture of mine, just for comparison. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester terrier Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 did you build that yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveBrigg Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 And which of the various containers in the picture is the projectile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 18 February , 2006 Share Posted 18 February , 2006 Hi Yes all my own work, and no that's not the ammunition along side the beast, that lunch!! Lets get our priorities right chaps. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester terrier Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Very impressive. How did you replicate the ratchet/windlass mechanism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Hi The original winch is a VERY neat affair in cast gunmetal, probably an Edwardian yacht fitting, and if still available, quite beyond my pocket, so a modern winch was used. My other deviation from the original was to substitute Bungee cord for the original unvulcanised rubber bands, partly for safety reasons and again because suppliers wanted to sell me 100 feet @ £2.00 per foot as apposed to 33p a meter for bungee. My aim was a working replica not a museum quality one. Mine will still throw a 1Ld hollow steel ball the same size as a No 15 grenade 45 -50 yards, which is more than enough for most demonstrations. I also only use six strands of bungee per side as apposed to the twelve of the real thrower. Over the years I have had most of the failures reported of at the time, such as the bomb going around with the pouch, and hanging playfully off the end of the thrower. Or it will hit something while it is still travelling the length of the catapult, get a vicious backspin and come back at you. My crew are now world experts at running away. Actually I think the public prefer to see a cock-up rather than six perfect shots with all the bombs landing within six feet of each other. When it works, it works, when it don't, then God help you. More D.C.M.'s were won by a member of a catapult crew saving his mates from their own bomb, than any dramatic action against the Hun. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester terrier Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Cheers for the reply Gareth, fascinating! A formidable replica! I suppose that this is the interesting thing about living history, you read the history books but nothing beats getting to grips with the kit. You and your crew are probably the only people who have experienced a Leach catapult in 80 odd years. Any idea to when you might be giving a demo next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Fantastic photo. It is a "home made" catapult used by the RND on Gallipoli - those involved in the Gallipoli campaign had to learn to improvise due to lack of appropriate weoponary sent out by the WO. This particualr photo shows Lt James of RMLI with a rifle grenade. The picture was taken at Orchard Gully. Source: Images of Gallipoli by PA Pedersen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Hi ..................... . My crew are now world experts at running away. .................... Gareth Please allow me to join the throng of over-age small boys and add my congrats. I hope to watch a demo one day. If you are needing a deputy assistant runner away...................? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 20 February , 2006 Share Posted 20 February , 2006 The object in the centre [of the photo] is a Gamages (Leach) catapult. In the foreground are two small trench mortars. At the foreground an SMLE mounted on a locally manufactured "hyposcope", or set-down stock, to allow shooting over parapet without exposing the firere. The officer on the left has a Hale type rodded rifle grenade just visible in the muzzle of his SMLE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgarwood Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 I have a set of medals and vast research papers on a 10th Essex Captain who was injured by a West Spring Gun in the trenches, He survived but had a broken upper and lower jawbone and lost half his teeth. He actually gets a mention in "To France with the 10th Essex" where it states that "Beard had been injured by that "infernal contaption" the West Spring Gun." His medical notes show considerable facial injury and surgery and prolonged dentistry before being back in action. If I had time it would be fun to make one, as far as I am aware there are no engineering drawings of the day to show the exact method of construction. Peter The object in the centre [of the photo] is a Gamages (Leach) catapult. In the foreground are two small trench mortars. At the foreground an SMLE mounted on a locally manufactured "hyposcope", or set-down stock, to allow shooting over parapet without exposing the firere. The officer on the left has a Hale type rodded rifle grenade just visible in the muzzle of his SMLE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgarwood Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 I have a set of medals and vast research papers on a 10th Essex Captain who was injured by a West Spring Gun in the trenches, He survived but had a broken upper and lower jawbone and lost half his teeth. He actually gets a mention in "To France with the 10th Essex" where it states that "Beard had been injured by that "infernal contaption" the West Spring Gun." His medical notes show considerable facial injury and surgery and prolonged dentistry before being back in action. If I had time it would be fun to make one, as far as I am aware there are no engineering drawings of the day to show the exact method of construction. Peter The object in the centre [of the photo] is a Gamages (Leach) catapult. In the foreground are two small trench mortars. At the foreground an SMLE mounted on a locally manufactured "hyposcope", or set-down stock, to allow shooting over parapet without exposing the firere. The officer on the left has a Hale type rodded rifle grenade just visible in the muzzle of his SMLE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 Thanks everyone it looks they do look like weird contraptions and "Double edged weapons" were there frequent caualties on the user of these weapons due to accidents? Well the inventor lost parts of three fingers during a demo of the beast. Its range was inadequate and it took up to three soldiers to cock it. The only advantage was if kept down below the parapet it was quite difficult to tewll where its projectiles were coming from (no flash, no bang, no smoke) so relatively difficult to supress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 Is this weapon the infamous West Spring Gun or another variation of the theme.A Troop of RMs at Gallipoli in 1915. Is that a Garland mortar bottom left ? If so, would that be its projectile in front ? Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 This one was dug up in France a year or so ago. Would love to give it a go!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 20 June , 2008 Share Posted 20 June , 2008 T8Hants, were you crewing your Leach at Fort Nelson last month? If so, i've stood about two metres away from you and not realised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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