Official Launch of the

Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial Extension Project



The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery National Memorial (RAA NM) stands atop Mount Pleasant. The Memorial was officially dedicated and opened by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the 9th of March 1977, as part of her Silver Jubilee visit to Australia. It depicts honours spanning the Royal Regiment’s proud history from Sudan through to South Vietnam. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to add more recent campaigns and operations without modifying the existing layout.

The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery seeks an extension of the Memorial to recognise the service of Australian Gunners in campaigns and operations since Vietnam and to provide for recognition of service in future campaigns and operations.

The current memorial was conceived and executed by Major General John Whitelaw and its construction was funded by donations from the Gunner community and by corporate donations. The planned extension will be sympathetic to the existing Memorial design. We intend that it be funded by donations from Gunners, corporations and the public. Grants will also be sought. The project is a long overdue recognition of the actions of Gunners in operations conducted over the last 50 years.

The official launch of the project was announced on St Barbara's day - 4 December 2024 - by the release of a letter signed by the Head of Regiment, The Representative Colonel Commandant and the Master Gunner. An image of the letter is shown below, however, the image is difficult to read so the content of the letter is :

"It is our honour to officially launch the Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial (RAA NM) Extension Project on St Barbara's Day.

The RAANM, sitting atop Mt Pleasant in Canberra, is a significant sight of Gunner remembrance. It is dedicated to recognising the service of all Gunners to Australia from 1871 to today whether here or abroad. It especially

honours those Gunners who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Unveiled by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, the Memorial specifically mentions wars and

campaigns from Sudan to South Vietnam. It has not been updated since 1977.

In the 50 years since its opening Australian Gunners have served their nation with pride and distinction in Somalia, East Timor/Timor Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan and on numerous peacekeeping and domestic operations.

To ensure the Memorial remains a place of recognition, commemoration, reflection and connection for all Gunners, it is important that these contemporary campaigns and operations are recognised by capturing them on

the Memorial alongside those already named.

This is what the project seeks to do as well as create sufficient space to enable future, as yet unknown, campaigns

and operations to be easily added.

The aim is to rededicate the extended Memorial in 2027 during the 50th anniversary year of its original unveiling.

Achieving this in the required timeframe will take considerable effort from the volunteer Project Team and require the backing of the entire Gunner community - serving and retired.

We call upon you all, as proud Gunners — as individuals and as organisations/associations — to lend your support to this important project by raising awareness within your networks, advocating for support, and through

the raising of much needed capital to fund the necessary Memorial extension. Donations are tax deductable.

To find out more or to donate to the Project please visit www.artilleiyliistorv.org or www. australianartilleryassociation.org

Once a Gunner, Always a Gunner."

1st Heavy Brigade RAA - Fanfare of Eight Trumpets (1938)

Heritage Trumpet

An inscribed heritage silver trumpet was added to the property register of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery in 2023. What is story behind the trumpet?

In Sydney in the 1930’s the 1^st Heavy Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery, a permanent unit manned the coast defences. Its headquarters was at George’s Heights Mosman before it moved to a newly constructed barracks and headquarters at North Head in the late 1930’s. The Brigade included its own military band (the Brigade Band) which performed frequently at major public events in Sydney.

The Brigade Band was popular and appreciated by the people of Sydney and local government. Its popularity led to the presentation of a gift of eight silver trumpets to enable the Brigade Band to perform trumpet fanfares. A fanfare is a short, loud tune played on trumpets or other similar instruments to announce a special event.

The trumpets were presented during a ceremonial parade at the Mosman Golf Links on Monday 19 December 1938.

Newspaper Report

Sydney Morning Herald - Tuesday 20 December 1938

SILVER TRUMPETS PRESENTED.

Garrison Artillery.

Eight silver trumpets were presented to the 1st Heavy Brigade of the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery by Sir Archibald Howie, yesterday. The brigade paraded on George's Heights, Mosman, to receive the presentation.

The Commanding Officer, Colonel G. P. Meredith, received Sir Archibald Howie, who was accompanied by the Base Commandant, Major-General J. K. Hardie, and the Lord Mayor, Alderman Nock.

"I hope these instruments will live long in the traditions of the regiment," Sir Archibald Howie said in presenting the trumpets.

Eight trumpeters from the brigade band then played a special fanfare, composed for the occasion by the bandmaster, Staff-Sergeant Bartlett.

After a march past, the men were given an issue of beer at the George's Heights canteen, at Sir Archibald Howie's expense. 

       Who was Sir Archibald Howie?

A copy of the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for Howie is at The Australian Dictionary of Biogaraphy. The detailed inscription on the silver trumpets suggests Howie, a local politician, intended to record his association with and support for the Brigade. It also infers a close relationship between the Brigade and the community.

Above and Below: 9th Regiment's Gunners ready and willing.

“A fanfare was played by members of the 1st Heavy Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery after the presentation of eight trumpets to them by Sir Archibald Howie.”

2023: Return of a Trumpet to the RAA

Awareness of the trumpets was rekindled in 2023. Over the years the RAA lost visibility of the existence of the trumpets. In 2023 the RAA was surprised by the return of one of the trumpets by someone who had cared for it for many years. The story is understood to be:

A retired WO1 (Narly Graham) who attended RAA farewells was passing through Bathurst when an 'old bloke' handed him the trumpet. Story is that it was stolen sometime around 1952 from the School of Artillery by a chap from 3 RAR. The gentlemen who had noted the inscription knew WO1 Graham and where he was going and handed it over to him for return to the School of Artillery.

RMG WO1 Hortle, on receiving the trumpet, noted it was presented to the 1st Heavy Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery, in 1938 by the Lord Mayor of the time. The RMG thought ‘it was an important relic of history that could be placed within the halls of 10 Bde, which in a roundabout way is the RAA's new 'Heavy' Brigade’.

1^st Heavy Brigade and Band

From 1927, the coast defence unit was known as the 1st Heavy Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery. The RAA crest of the period with the motto ‘Consensu Stabiles’ is inscribed. In 1938 the 1st Heavy Brigade was an RAA unit. At a much earlier date it was a unit of the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery (RAGA) and is incorrectly referenced in the 1938 news article.

The Brigade Band was probably formed in 1928 from the strength of the Brigade’s gunners as there was no separate establishment for a band. However, provision was made for a bandmaster in 1932. It became the Eastern Command Band in 1941.

Where are the Other Seven Silver Trumpets?

·        A second trumpet from the eight is displayed in the School of Artillery Sergeants Mess at Puckapunyal.

·        A third (owned by the RAAHC and usually held at the Cutler Research Centre) is currently displayed in the Sydney Harbour Trust’s North Fort visitor reception building.

·        The location of other five is unknown as of December 2024.

·        A possibility is that some of the eight silver trumpets were passed on to the Eastern Command Band and then to the Australian Army Band Sydney.

Maker and RAA Motto

The trumpet maker, Henry Potter of London, is well known. Their maker’s symbol is the unicorn. In 1938 the motto of the RAA was ‘Consensu Stabiles’, which can be translated as ‘Firm and Steadfast’.

Trumpet of Bugle?

The evolution of musical instruments in the class of trumpets and bugles is complex. The gifts were clearly known as trumpets in the 1930’s; in the 2020’s they would more likely be called ‘bugles’.

Previous Presentation of a Trumpet



In 1862 a silver trumpet was presented to a predecessor unit of 19 Fd Bty, 9 Fd Regt, (from a footnote in Keith Glyde’s draft lineage research), which states:

“A Bde Order of 10 Jun 62, published in The Sydney Morning Herald of 12 June 1862, notified of a parade to be held on Saturday 14 June 1862 for the presentation of a silver trumpet to No 1 Battery, Vol Arty, by Lady Clark.”

Displaying the Trumpets

It is desirable to provided lasting recognition of the special gift of the eight silver trumpets to an RAA unit in 1938 by a member of the NSW government, a unique event, and of its era. The strong links between the RAA and the community is powerfully exemplified in the gift. It was a time when concern about the rise of Japan was leading to increased defence preparedness. An option is to securely mount the three trumpets in a single protective case, creating visual impact, with interpretive information that conveys the history of the 1938 gift.

Loan of Trumpets to 10 Brigade

1st Heavy Brigade and 10 Brigade share a common land-based coast defence role; albeit the first was from fixed defences and the latter will include land based anti-ship missile capabilities which will be mobile. To perpetuate the history of the land based anti-ship (coast defence) role of the RAA, it would seem appropriate to loan a ‘1938 three trumpet set’ to 10 Brigade, where it could be displayed in the headquarters as a significant historical artefact.

“I hope these instruments will live long in the traditions of the regiment”,

Sir Archibald Howie.

John Cox

Chair RAA Regimental History Committee

History Director RAAHC

December 2024