Note: This is a re-creation of my earlier Some Corner of a Foreign Field cache. When that cache was published, this artillery piece was sitting in Apex Park, not far from here, in very poor condition without even a plaque to explain its presence. I noticed it one day and was inspired to create a cache based on the mysterious gun and the poem "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke. That poem is about an English soldier, but somehow I was reminded of it when stumbling across this unexplained German artillery piece in an Australian country town. However, one day the gun vanished and we eventually discovered that it had been taken away for restoration. Nearly a year later it re-appeared, in much better condition, here in Leighton Gardens. There's even an information board with details on its history. So, like the gun, this cache has now been restored.
At the published coordinates you will find a Krupp 150mm Field Howitzer, captured from the German army by the 57th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force near Weincourt, France in 1918. This was one of the most important pieces in the arsenal of the German artillery during the First World War. This is the improved sFH13 model, capable of firing a 42kg projectile some 8,500 metres.
Near the gun is an information plaque. This should be your primary source of answers for this cache. However there is a mysterious "GG" number stamped on the gun itself which you will also need to find. Update: Due to difficulties finding the GG number, I will give you a hint: look where you load the gun!
Year of manufacture: 19AB (as per the info board)
Serial number: 12CD
"GG Number": GGEF
How many men from the Southern Highlands served in the 57th Batallion? Answer = X.
The name of this cache is a reference to the poem "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke who died in 1915. That theme made more sense when this gun sat unexplained and neglected in a small park, but it's a beautiful poem and still quite relevant. Rupert Brooke is buried in a foreign country with how many letters in its name? Answer = Y.
To find GZ:
From the published coordinates, project another set of coordinates using these details:
Bearing: (E+X+A).(C)(B+D)(Y-A+F) degrees (note the decimal point!)
Distance: The range of this gun PLUS (F-A)(X-E)(C+D)(A+B) metres
You can check your coordinates on GeoChecker.com.
A final note on the location: GZ is several minutes drive from the published coordinates. Don't try to attempt it from the nearest road as there's no parking and a steep climb. If you look on the map you will see a longer alternate way to near GZ with some room for parking. You are looking for an ammo tin. As this is a new cache listing, there is a new logbook for signing.
Helpful links:
Geocaching Toolbox - for coordinate projection
Rupert Brooke
The Soldier (Poem)