Monuments & Guards

[Daan Kemp]

The barrel jacket covered the rear half of the barrel [so the gunners couldn't easily interfere with the recoil mechanism]. The M O and year with the Jacket with squiggle would indicate when and by who the jacket/gun was manufactured and probably the specific mark. There were several different models 25Pdr from different factories and improvements.
Not sure about the 8 but the 0 4 probably indicates how good the barrel is. The life of the barrel was indicated in quarters and this possibly indicates it is in very good condition or worn out, the 0...
In South Africa the artillery used the 25Pdr guns for initial training as the distance easily fits in with the ranges and ammunition was relatively inexpensive compared to the larger guns. In the late seventies these guns were still in their first quarter of use IIRC, although all dating to WWII. Some of the ammunition were still vintage too, I believe.