Important artifact can still be saved
The spring of 1995 marked the 100th anniversary of manufacture for the Krupp 7.7 centimetre Feldkanone (FK) 15pound 96 neuer Art field gun that is located near the court house in Placentia.
That anniversary came and went unnoticed and uncommemorated.
However, there was probably a good excuse for that. The U.S. government had closed its naval facility in Argentia the previous year and the loss put the region into an economic depression from which it has not fully recovered.
This year marked the 120th anniversary of that gun’s existence and, again, it has gone unnoticed and uncommemorated, even by the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 33 in Placentia.
Placentia’s First World War “Trophy Gun” has been refurbished three times. The last time, the wooden wheels were replaced with metal wheels. At present, corrosion is slowly eating away at the gun and there are patches of rust all over it. The doppelganger of Placentia’s Krupp field gun is located at Bonavista and, although it is painted grey, it is being maintained in its original state with wooden wheels.
The Newfoundland government gave the people of Placentia that First World War Trophy Gun in 1920. Five years from now will be the 100th anniversary of that gift. It will also be the 125th anniversary of the gun’s manufacture. Will anyone take notice?
Now is the time to start planning for that centenary as a way of honouring Placentia’s military men who paid the ultimate price for peace. Why can’t the various social groups of the region get together with the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 33 and raise the required funding to have the First World War military artifact restored to its original condition, including wooden wheels?
Where is the Argentia Management Authority? Surely, with the many tens of millions of dollars that have passed through its system, it can afford a mere $20,000 to restore such an important artifact. Five years will pass quickly, so now is the time to start.
Also, it would not be a bad idea to place the gun indoors after restoration in order to stop the corrosion. Another alternative would be to seal the gun under a Plexiglas cover after restoration to stop corrosion.
Hopefully, someone in the Placentia region will read this and take up the cause of preserving and protecting that part of Placentia’s history for future generations. If something is not done soon, there will be very little left to restore or protect. Edward F. J. Lake St. John’s