The Ordnance QF 25-pounder was the major British field gun and howitzer during the Second World War. Many Commonwealth countries used them during WW2 and Australia produced the guns at General Motors Holden. They were renowned for their rapid rate of fire and when firing at maximum range (12,253m -13,400yds) one gun could have up to 5 shells in the air at once. In North Africa during WW2, they were sometimes called upon to act as anti-tank guns. A shortened and lightened version of the gun was made in Australia and used in jungle operations.Steel conical projectile25 PR MK 1 L35 ME 11/54

The Bofors gun (which fired this round) was designed in the 1930s by AB Bofors, a Swedish arms manufacturer. It proved to be one of the most successful light anti-aircraft guns used during World War II. Apart from being used by most of the Allied forces, captured guns were used by the Germans and Japanese. The Bofors had a rate of fire between 80 - 100 rounds per minute when hand-loaded via 4-round clips. Effective maximum range was approx. 3,800m. On land, the guns were mounted singly on numerous types of chassis whilst Naval guns were either single or dual mountings. A few countries still use the Bofors Gun to this day.Brass case with iron/steel projectile

The Ordnance QF 18-pounder was the standard British field gun of the First World War and was used by both British and Commonwealth Forces. It was horse drawn until the army replaced horses with motor vehicles in the 1930s. The gun was still in use with the Australian Army in the early days of WW2 until replaced by more modern 25 pounder gun/howitzers. Rimmed brass shell with iron and steel projectile.18 PR II M.A.C. 255 F BA 19816 1916artillery

World War 1 German bayonet for the Model 1898 Mauser Rifle.Weyersberg Kirschbaum, 8C - IE Solingen

This 1917 dated 18pr shell case has a plaque in memory of Ernest 'Cappy' Sinclair. WW1 18pr guns were all that was available in the early days of WW2 and were used until the arrival of modern 25pr guns. Ernest served in the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion which was raised in Puckapunyal in Victoria in May 1940. After completing training, the battalion sailed for the Middle East aboard the Queen Mary in April 1941. Brass shell casing with in-memorium plaque attached.Plaque affixed to item: "PRESENTED TO / MONTMORENCEY RSL SUB BRANCH / In Memory Of Our Father / EARN "CAPPY" SINCLAIR / VX74235 - 2/2 PIONEER BN / THE SINCLAIR FAMILY" Engravings from original shell on bottom (see image)shell, 2/2 pioneer battalion, ernest sinclair, ww2, second world war, vx74235

Typical scabbard for the Pattern 1907 Sword Bayonet as used on the Short, Magazine Lee Enfield Rifle during World War 1. This Pattern was introduced in 1915. Leather Sword-Bayonet Scabbard with steel top-mount and chape for Hooked Quillion Bayonet (Item 0131). Teardrop stud for attachment to either a leather or webbing bayonet frog. Lithgow 'Star' trademark.

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.548.non-fictionPearl Harbour. Kokoda. The fall of Singapore. Curtin's fight with Churchill. The bombing of Darwin. The Battle of Midway. POWs. Kamikaze. Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia herself was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on one hand and British apathy on the other. Until now the history of the Pacific War has largely been written from the American perspective. Now, for the first time, Peter Thompson places Australian voices and action at the heart of a struggle that took an unimaginable number of lives and only ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen. Pearl Harbor; The fall of Singapore; Curtin's fights with Churchill; The bombing of Darwin; POW camps; The battle of Midway; Kokoda; Buna; Kamikaze pilots; Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on the one hand and British deception on the other. After a conflict that took an unimaginable number of lives and ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen, the Allies emerged victorious. Australia, however, was criticised by Churchill and his generals for showing cowardice in the face of the enemy and for not caring about the fate of other nations. The endorsement of these claims by several military historians today shows that the smear has not gone away. Until nowworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific, world war 1939 – 1945 – australia

Index, ill, p.160.non-fictionA guide to the weapons and equipment used during the Civil War when the metallic cartridge and repeating rifles were first introduced. A description of the implements employed by the forces of both sides.american civil war 1861-1865, american civil war - armaments

Ill, index, p.174.non-fictionThis book details the most powerful weapon of all time - The US battleship of World War Twobattleships - history, world war 1939-1945 - battleships

Index, ill, maps, p.256.This history of the war has commentary on the political and economic factors leading to the conflict, the key turning points of the war and the impact of new technologies. Colour campaign maps and battle plans complement the description of every major battle on land and at sea, along with analysis of the success and failure of the various military strategies. It focuses on the key military figures who shaped the course of the war and describes all of the most successful weapons of war, with a specification box on each weapon providing key technical details.world war 1939-1945 - history, world war 1939-1945 - campaigns

Index, ill, p.296.President Lincoln used his own weapons--his words--to fight the Civil War as brilliantly as any general who ever took the field. In Lincoln on War, historian Harold Holzer gathers and interprets Lincoln's speeches, letters, memoranda, orders, telegrams, and casual remarks, organizing them chronologically and allowing readers to experience Lincoln's growth from an eager young Indian War officer to a middle-aged dove congressman to a surprisingly hardened and determined hawk as the Union's commander-in-chief. We observe a man willing to sacrifice life and treasure in unprecedented quantities, to risk wounding the pride of vain generals, and even to mislead the public if it meant the preservation of an unbreakable union of states, the destruction of slavery, and the restoration of America as an example to inspire the world. This volume covers strategy; tactics; the endless hiring, sustaining, motivating, and dismissal of commanders; military discipline; and military technology. Modern commanders-in-chief have repeatedly quoted Lincoln to justify their own wars, so it behooves us as citizens to know Lincoln's record well. From masterpieces such as the Gettysburg Address to lesser-known meditations on God's purposes, Lincoln on War is the first book to highlight exclusively Lincoln's sublime and enduring words on waramerican civil war 1861-1865 - history, abraham lincoln 1809-1865 - leadership

Index, bibliography, ill, p.208.non-fictionText and photographic essays tell of espionage in World War II: the spies, spy networks, codes, electronic eavesdropping, weapons and hoaxes used by both sides. world war 1939-1945 - secret service, world war 1939-1945 - cryptography

Index, ill, maps, p.303.non-fictionWhen tanks, the newly invented British weapon, were used for the first time in a mass attack on November 20 1917, they not only achieved one of the most remarkable successes of the First World War but set the pattern for the future of mechanized warfare. For the first time in three years of bloody trench warfare, epitomized by the slaughter at Passchendaele which was then reaching its climax, tanks brought about a breakthrough of the massive German defense system of the Hindenburg Line, followed up by British infantry and cavalry divisions. They were supported for the first time by low flying. tanks - history, france - campaigns - passchaendaele

Index, ill, p.141.non-fictionIncludes ships from the Nile craft of 3000 B.C. to the modern American aircraft carrier. Emphasizes that the fighting ship has always been not merely a weapon of war but a beautiful and intensely personal creation, possessing a supreme combination of functional and decorative qualities.naval art and science, warships - history

Index, ill, p.207.non-fictionRecount, chronologically, the stories of 50 of the most significant advances in military technology. Discuses the specific engagements or campaigns in which they had the most effect. military art and science - history, military weapons - history

Bibliography, ill, maps, p.692.non-fictionThis landmark book explores the richness and diversity of Australian military history, which has had a profound impact on the development of Australia. The two world wars - destructive yet often ennobling commitments for the young nation - have been the most important experiences for several generations of Australians, but military considerations and obligations have had a pervasive influence throughout Australian history. Just as it would be impossible to form a proper understanding of that history without due consideration of Gallipoli, the Kokoda Track, and conscription, it would be difficult to exaggerate the abiding influence of the 'digger' and the Anzac legend. From the beginnings of European settlement and the violence that accompanied it, to the more recent engagement of Australian forces in the Gulf War and peace-keeping operations in Africa, military questions have been a constant theme in the story of Australia. Anzac and Gallipoli are well-known names in the consciousness, but they can only be fully appreciated if examined in a wider context. This book does just that, providing a detailed analysis of Australian military achievements and an assessment of the importance of war in Australian history. The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History covers all aspects of this complex and fascinating subject. It contains more than 800 individual entries, written by leading military historians. All the major campaigns and battles are examined, along with significant military and civilian figures, such as Thomas Blamey, John Monash, John Curtin, Albert Jacka and Charles Bean. There are articles on weapons and weapons systems and on the development of the individual services and their component parts. The roles of industry, science and technology are analysed, and a series of essay-length articles discusses key aspects of our military legacy, including military humour and the impact of war on Australian film, television and literature. Here, then, is the most comprehensive guide to Australian military history, ranging from the colonial period to the 1990s. The Companion is supplemented by 100 photographs and by more than 30 maps. It is an indispensable source for students, specialists and general readers alike. Collapse summary australia - armed forces - history, australia - armed forces - encyclopaedias

Index, bib, ill, p.171.non-fictionWhen the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Army Air Forces had only 1,100 combat-ready planes. No one could have imagined then that within the next four years the AAF would become the mighty weapon commemorated in the paintings reproduced on the following pages, or that it would have to scope to engage in what its commander, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, described as a "global mission." Nevertheless, by 1944 the AAF had grown into 16 separate air forces stationed around the world, and its 1,100 planes had grown to nearly 80,000. world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - united states, united states air force - history - 1939-1945

Ill, p.159.non-fictionA history of japanese suicide weapons and actionskamikaze attacks, world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - japan

Ill, p.159.non-fictionA history of infantry weapons of World war twoworld war 1939-1945 - weapons, infantry weapons

p.284.fictionSomewhere out there Ellie and her friends are hiding. They're shocked, they're frightened, they're alone. Their world has changed, with the speed of a slamming door. They've got no weapons - except courage. They've got no help - except themselves. They've got nothing - except friendship. How strong can you be, when the world is full of people trying to kill you?juvenile fiction, war stories - juvenile fiction

Ill, p.240.non-fictionLeading military historian Richard Holmes has selected over 200 rare and unusual photographs to illustrate the wide range of the British Army's experience in the First World War - on all fronts, from Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Gallipoli to the Flanders trenches." "The book's topics include the preparations for war and the mobilisation of 1914; the 'roses of no-man's land' - the contribution made by nurses; 'blighty ones and other ones' - the wounded and their treatment; 'brother lead and sister steel' - soldiers and their weapons; scenes from the battlefield and the campaigns where Tommies fought; the armistice and its aftermath.world war 1914 -1918 - pictorial works, great britain - army - military life

Index, bib, ill, maps, p.391.non-fictionTraces the history of warfare, focusing on weapons and weapons systems, significant battles and campaigns, and influential figures.military technology - history, war - technological innovations

Index, bib, ill, p.288.non-fictionhe invasion of Italy by France in 1494 sowed the dragon's teeth of all successive European wars, and accelerated the pressures to devise ever more effective armaments and methods of warfare." "This account of the story of arms over the period covers in detail the development of the handgun and the pike, the use and style of staff-weapons, mace and axe and war-hammer, dagger and dirk and bayonet. Armour is shown attaining its full Renaissance splendour then suffering its later decline; the history of the sword, Ewart Oakeshott's special interest, is followed to the late eighteenth century when it ceased to be part of everyday wear: cause or effect, the far-reaching effects of the Industrial Revolution on military armaments had begun.military technology - history, armour - europe - history

Index, bib, notes, ill, p.319.non-fictionThe introduction of chemical warfare during the First World War was a major event in the history of military technology. It not only posed an unusual challenge to military thinking of the day, which was largely conventional and wholly unfamiliar with science; it also created a heated moral controversy surrounding the new weapon that did not discriminate between soldiers and civilians. This study explores the military role of chemical warfare as well as its effects on people, industries and administration on both sides.world war 19314-1918 - chemical warfare, world war 1914-1918 - history

Part of metal buckle or clasp in a shield shape. In the centre in relief are a cricket bat and stumps crossed diagonally. Two sashes curve across the bat and the stumps with the words 'Our War Is Our Weapons'. Item is rusted and the top of the shield has been broken.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks

Naval Hanger, Precursor to the Cutlas Circa 1793 Napoleonic Warsweapon, 18 century, rn

Boer War Bayonet - E.L.B. 11/99 Wilkinson London on blade. On handle E.L.weapon, boer war, army