Phil Dodd says

I too have wondered about this for about 40 years and never managed to find an answer. Perhaps it is time to dig it up and put it on show.

Phil Dodd says

Could this be a case for Tony Robinson's Time Team

Paul Watling says

I don't know if this has ever been confirmed, but it has been alleged that the cannon in question is actually of German origin & was buried in the ground to conceal it & the wall built over it. Land erosion & subsidence in time exposed it again.

Jan Leggatt says

Can someone tell me exactly where the cannon is? I'd like to go see it.

Phil Dodd says

Jan,
It is in a hole in the ground at the bottom of the low wall separating the West Bay Playing Fields from and the rocky shore around the west end of the football pitch. See my comments on it under Millport Memories.
http://www.s1millport.com/area/millport-memories.html

Site Admin says

Sandy Morton says: Here is a photo of the field gun taken about 1923. One of the ladies was the aunt of Anna Alexander who lives in Largs but Curled with Millport Curling Club for many years.

Alistair Smith says

Thank you Sandy. Has the picture uploaded? Unless I'm doing something wrong, the photo has not appeared? Have you any info on where the gun came from? Why was it there? Was it buried in the wall because it was German, as Mr Watling alledges?

Sandy Morton says

Pic should be up now. Various trains of thought about the field gun. First one I heard was that there were 2 of them at the battery out beyond the boatyard to keep the Germans out of the Clyde in the first war. After the war 1 was retained and the other was tipped over the side of a puffer. Later one was that communities which had helped the war effort were given 1 as a thank you. Last one was that there were 2 and that photos exist of them being landed at the old pier but that they are of late 19th century, possibly French, origin.

Does anyone really know? And would digging it up help? Might it have had a time capsule buried with it?

J Kiely says

Re Phil Dodds first comment.
Had a word with Dr Tony Pollard of The centre of Battlefield Archaeology at Glasgow University. He has shown interest in it and says "It's German, late 19th century and is a trophy from the Boer War".
See more at http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/battlefieldarchaeology/
Very interesting photo too.
J.K.

Sandy Morton says

I believe that moves are now afoot to extract the gun from the wall with a view to restoring it.

Alistair Smith says

Thankyou Sandy and JK.
Fascinating picture. Not just the subject matter, have you noticed the lack of trees and gorse on the hill?
It would seem my father's explanation was somewhat inaccurate. We still don't know why it was buried in the wall. If there was two, could the other be in there as well, as tipping off a puffer seems to be a lot of trouble to go to?

Phil Dodd says

Thank you everyone. At last some answers.

Jean Kerr (McKinnon) says

The Historical Society are working with Glasgow University to hopefully use the unearthing and researching of the cannon as a project for students. To find out more come along to the meetings in the Newton - next one is 26th April at 7.00pm.

Alistair Smith says

Thanks Jean. Unfortunately I do not reside on the island, so I wont make the meeting. However, I would be grateful for any new details which may transpire? PS Sandy, that photo seems to have absconded again??

Site Admin says

Hi Alistair, not sure why the photo is not showing, we've added it to the top of the page as well now!

Alistair Smith says

Both pictures now showing.............thankyou!

Evelyn McIntyre says

Quite near where the Cannon in the wall is situated, there is an area of stones in a round formation, on the grass. Maybe the cannon was put there at one time? Or is this something else in history? Evelyn McIntyre

Alistair Smith says

Hi Evelyn. I think I remember the stone circle, of which you mention. As I recall, was it not concrete with a small hole in the middle? I believe this may have been what was called a spiggot mounting, I,m guessing WW2. This was a sort of one size fits all mount, for small artillary, mortars, machine gun etc. Or was your stone circle something else?

Sandy Morton says

Alistair. Isn't the one you are thinking of right out at the end of West Bay - looks more like the base for a flagpole? I'll go and take a photo if there is any interest.

Alistair Smith says

Any chance of taking a photo of the cannon as it is in situ, at the same time? Thanks Sandy.

Sandy Morton says

Nae panic. There was another cannon at one time - sat in the middle of Kames Bay. I had a photo of it with Craigie Frasers dad sitting on it but it has gone walkabout - not difficult in my computer room - so if anyone has a copy - please?

Site Admin says

Sandy Morton says: Photos as promised - first one is looking straight at the cannon (rusty) and the second one gives an idea of its position relative to Millport Bay.

Phil Dodd says

Good to see it again. There is certainly a lot more exposed since I last saw it and definitely much more than when I was in my teens 40 years ago when my friends and I first saw it. Then, it was just the end foot or two of the barrel and the tip of the left wheel and we were not sure that it was a cannon.

Alistair Smith says

Thanks for the photos Sandy. Did you take any of your flagpole/my mortar mounting? As I recall, though I may well have forgotten, wasn't the mounting in close proximity to where the cannon was on display?

Sandy Morton says

Shame on me! I couldn't find it yesterday and it's blowing a gale today. I'll go back on the first decent day. Cannon is in the seawall beside the boating pond the other mounting is right out at the end of the island and maybe just round the corner.

PJ Lonsdale says

I always understood that the canon was a rifled howitzer. It was one of a pair used by the Argyll and Buteshire Volunteers.

Latterly (in their use) they were positioned in the battery at Portachur Point. There are still concrete areas visible out there, including some which may have been either a signalling station or simply a flagpole.

The other one was dumped, along with other armaments, somewhere in the bay.

Sandy Morton says

Thanks Phil - that was more or less my understanding although obviously others are at variance.

I went to look for the concrete base and couldn't find the one I thought I remembered, Phil might have a better remembery since I think he walked down that way often. The one I thought I remembered had a hole about 6inches in diameter in the centre and was made of concrete and about 5 feet across. Further along towards Westbourne I found a large boulder with a round hole in it - about 10 inch diameter and I have added a photo of it. I'll send the location photos to s1 and hope the crew can put them all together as they did for the other one.

Site Admin says

Here's the combined photo to show the location of the concrete base as Sandy promised! First looking towards Westbourne and then towards the boatyard.

Alistair Smith says

Interesting, I have not ever seen this. However, if my memory seves, I thought there was a circular "dome" shape mounting, between the football park and where the cannon now resides?

Sandy Morton says

Alistair - immic and I have a photo somewhere (posted when I find it) - there was another flagpole at this location.

Campbell Templeton says

To update on the cannons. I was told by my father there were two cannons both are built into the wall. They are German from the first World War Howitsers apparently they sat between the football park and the seat. There was a concrete circle just near the seat where a flag flew and the guns were on either side. There was also a flag further out by the boatyard and also a gun covered the sea from there. I am sure I have seen a picture of the two guns but where for the moment escapes me. Hope this is of help to your questions.

Alistair Smith says

Thank you Campbell, and all the other contributors. We would now seem to know most of the background to the cannon's history. However, I'm still curious as to why and who, thought it was a good idea to dump two good condition historical items such as these?

DAVID STEVENSON says

Sandy, There is a photo of a gun on the old pier. Not being landed, but being taken away.
It was the 25-pounder, which was commandeered to serve in the second world war, and was replaced by a 2-pounder. Useless as a gun, but was still good for training the Territorials, my Grandad recalls. Can't find the book the photo is in, but will let you know when I find it.
As for the cannon in the wall, Grandad also recalls they arrived just after the first world war and are indeed German, but unfortunately the Burgh buried it into the see wall to stop the football pitch from being washed away.

Sandy Morton says

Thanks David - if your Grandad says it happened then it did - he still has a fantastic memory.

LOUISE allan says

My Dad (Dr Allan) Nephew of Dr Paul told me the cannon had been sited near the site in which it is interred - post world war 2... in the years afterwards when no one knew what to do with it - and when the wall was being built - it was simply used as part of the wall - too heavy to do much else with it.... War Office didn't want to know - so used as an ongoing piece of defence but from the elements not the Germans..

Louise Allan -

Sandy Morton says

As mentioned earlier there was another flagpole in the West Bay - looks like the seaward side of what is now the football pitch although I presume that it was common ground if it has a cow grazing on it and no apparent fence.  In the same photo why do wee boys like to have their photo taken whilst doing something ridiculous - it can't have been comfy sitting on a hawthorn bush.

Alistair Smith says

Another fascinating photo Sandy! When do you think the picture was taken?

I asume that there must be quite a lot of these old photos about. Would it be a good idea to set up a section in the photo gallery, specificaly for old pictures, and associated memories?

Gordon Cairns says

I am a freelance journalist who thinks the Cannon in the wall could make  a great newspaper story; it would be great if any of the contributors could drop me an email to help me write a piece about the mystery of the Millport cannon. Thanks gordoncairns@freelancejournalism.com