17 Pounder
I have travelled to many small towns, and cities across North America, and they all proudly display a souvenir from WWII, whether it’s a fighter jet proudly mounted on a pedestal, a tank, displayed in front of the local legion hall or another souvenir.
But what about Burlington, where is our WWII souvenir. This is what you are about to discover. Here it is, nicely tucked away, just off Graham’s Lane in front of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 60. What you will find here, is an Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder anti-tank gun, mounted on it’s own carriage.
Here is what Wikipedia told me about this gun:
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder (or just 17-pdr) was a 76.2 mm (3 inch) gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was used as an anti-tank gun on its own carriage, or equipped on a number of British tanks.
The 17-pounder was a much bulkier and heavier weapon than its predecessor. As a result, it had to be towed by a gun tractor, such as the Morris Quad, M3 Half-track or the Crusader, as it could not effectively be moved by its gun crew alone, especially on poor ground. After firing on soft ground, the 17-pounder frequently had to be pulled out of the ground due to the gun recoil burying the trail spades. After the Second World War, it was issued to anti-tank units of the Royal Artillery.