During World War 1, guns captured from the enemy labelled with details of the name of the unit which had captured the piece, and the date and place of capture. Trophies were then sent to England for storage before being sent home to Australia. It was determined that the new National War Museum would only retain a portion of the trophies for display. A War Trophy Committee, set up to organise the allotment of the trophies, was inundated by requests for guns. It was necessary to draw up guidelines for disbursement which took into consideration the claims from soldiers who had captured the guns, and which recognised the towns from which the soldiers had volunteered. Distribution of the guns was based on a number of factors:
The claims of the AIF unit responsible for the gun’s capture. The restructure of the army after the war saw many of these guns allotted to Commonwealth Military Forces (CMF) units. Many units either handed control of the guns over to the council, or requested that they be distributed to other towns
Pool A Guns. The remaining guns were allotted to towns all over Australia. Towns applying for guns had to comply with a series of conditions which included the appointment of three trustees. One of the trustees was required to have served in the Australian Imperial Forces. The trustees were responsible for:
- Arranging for the gun to be permanently housed in a public park, garden or building within the town, and for its subsequent preservation and safe custody.
- Arranging a simple ceremony where it would be formally handed over.
- Bearing all expenses connected with transport and installation after arrival.
The following locations within the Penrith Local Government Area were issued with war trophies.
Further Sources:
- Billett, R S (1999). War Trophies From the First World War: 1914-1918. Kangaroo: East Roseville, NSW.
- AWM194 Allotment of 1914-1918 War Trophies
- AWM93 State Trophy Committee Meetings