Argentine 105mm Pack Howitzer Captured Falklands 1982

[spotter]

This Argentine 105mm Pack Howitzer is one that was captured during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and now resides with the Leeds university officer training corps in Carlton Barracks ,Leeds

 

[LCplCombat]

I don't know if it is the same gun, but here is one that stood outside 2 Field Workshops REME nearly Stanley Airport in the Falklands in 1984, yours truly is circled on the left rear rank. The other circled guys are the RAOC Stores Section.

The guns were originaly British and used by the RHA to support Paras somewhere in South Arabia in the sixties. They were eventualy sold and the Argies used them Against Paras at Goose Green and elsewhere in the Falklands.

 

[beihan62]

Re the 105s,during my time in the RAF I was stationed in Aden in the early 60s,we were constructing a tarmac runway (5004 AC sqdn,)at an up country base near the Yemen border and as the political situation was deteriorating it was deemed that we should have some decent firepower on hand should it be needed,this came in the form of a troop of gunners with their 105 pack howitzers,(great bunch of lads)it happened that the GOCs inspection was due,the gunners used our garage tent to scrape and repaint their 105s ready for the inspection,now fresh paint and sandstorms dont go well together,my heart went out to those lads who had put in so much work to make the 105s absolutly pristine only to have them covered in sand which stuck to the paint and made a terrible mess of all their hard work,after much more hard work the guns were made ready for the GOCs inspection which I believe went well,it would be interesting to learn if the one at leeds was one of the ones caught in the sandstorm "up country"in Aden,
Regards,
Don,

 

[rnixartillery]

This is a picture of my L5 Pack Howitzer which served with 7 para RHA ,I have fully restored the Gun and it is a very interesting piece I must say.

Rob...................rnixartillery.

 

[beihan62]

Hi Rob,Thanks for posting a pics of your superb 105,fantastic restoration you have done there,great little weapon and packed a hell of a wallop considering it small size,
Regards,
Don,

 

[Gunnerwho?]

In the 1960s and into the '70s 105mm Pack equipped at least 7 UK regts (ie 2 x Cdo Regts (2 btys each), 7 RHA, three regts in UK base airportable bdes, 28 Cwth Bde regt and the HK regt), and there were quite a lot of spares because in 1966 a regiment's worth of guns were declared 'beyond economic repair' (they'd been used in Borneo). The guns sold to Argentine would have been whatever was ready for sale, and would have been last used by different regts.