Time to bring out the big guns
A SERIES of events marking significant anniversaries in Dunedin and New Zealand’s military artillery history are set to go off with a bang in Dunedin this weekend.
A threeday event being hosted by the Royal New Zealand Artillery Association will mark 100 years since the end of World War 1 and the 155th anniversary of Dunedin’s BBattery New Zealand Field Artillery.
Events will include a 10round gun salute in the Octagon on Sunday, each round signifying a decade since the war ended on November 11, 1918.
Dunedin committee member and 31B Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery 3rd Field Regiment battery guide Robbie Gardiner said festivities would include a dinner, the organisation’s general meeting and various tourist activities around the city.
About 85 people had registered for the dinner on Saturday night.
‘‘People will be attending from all over New Zealand, and even half a dozen from Australia.’’
On Sunday morning, the Octagon’s central carriageway between George and Princes Sts would be closed to allow two 25pound artillery guns to fire away at 10am.
One of the guns was owned by the Dunedin RSA and the other belonged to the Alexandra RSA.
With everyone coming to Dunedin for the general meeting, the decision was made to commemorate 100 years since World War 1, despite the date being a few weeks shy of Armistice Day on November 11, Mr Gardiner said.
A church service would be held St Paul’s Cathedral after the salute.
Dunedin’s BBattery was formed at the Provincial Hotel in the city in 1863.
Members included people from Otago and Southland who had served in various wars.
The 31B Battery, though no longer functioning officially, has 10 former members in Dunedin, who meet regularly to ‘‘put the world to rights’’.