Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

Albany's War Trophy Sign

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c. 1921

Overview

A rectangular piece of galvanised sheet metal with hand-painted black text on a white background.

Historical information

Captured weapons by the Australian Imperial Forces, commonly known as “War Trophies”, were distributed throughout Australia after the First World War by the Australian War Memorial Committee.
The Albany War Trophy gun was positioned at the War Memorial, York Street in October 1921. However, it was first proposed to be positioned at Lawley Park which already had several historic guns. After the request of Mr S. J. Barrow MM, 16th Battalion veteran, Military Medal recipient, and Secretary Albany Sub-branch RSL, “That the Albany Town Council be asked to place the captured German field gun, landed to Albany as a war trophy, in the triangle in York-street, alongside the Fallen Soldiers Memorial.” The council accepted the proposal at the Albany Town Council meeting on Monday 12 September 1921.
During the Second World War, local councils were encouraged to contribute to the war effort by “scrapping” park guns to the Old Metals Branch. The scrapped guns would then be converted into munitions. The council did not go with this decision in 1941, however, at the request of the Albany Sub-branch RSL in September 1944, the gun was removed “which was considered a menace to children.” Albany Advertiser, 28 September 1944

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-1988.33.1

Material

Enamel Paint

Galvanised Metal

Width

228 mm

Height or length

155 mm

Depth

1 mm