The German railway gun which became known as 'the Amiens Gun' after its capture on 8 August 1918 ...

The German railway gun which became known as 'the Amiens Gun' after its capture on 8 August 1918 by the 31st Battalion during the big advances of the 5th Australian Division in the Battle of Amiens in August 1918. Formerly a 28 cm calibre naval gun, it had been converted and mounted on a railway carriage and used for long range bombardment operations. In its operational period from June 1918-August 1918, the gun was used against the City of Amiens. The gun is shown here being exhibited in Paris, before it was sent to England for transport to Australia as a war trophy. The two Australian soldiers standing to the left of the gun are identified as 1805 Corporal (Cpl) Edwin Carlson, 2 Australian Light Railway Operating Company and Sergeant Bob Haig of Townsville. Cpl Carlsen had been granted leave to Paris from his unit on 22 August 1918. The gun's carriage was used for weapons testing during the Second World War and eventually sold for scrap; the barrel remains intact, and is on display in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.