Good Morning Everyone, The railway gun model has been completed (http://ww2talk.com/f...llery-howitzer/) and as my model of Folkestone Harbour is now taking shape I thought that I would collect information on the operational use of railway artillery. The SHB guns were to be used against shipping targets in an approaching invasion fleet and any forces which had landed on the shore. I have been looking into the movement of railway guns in the southeast and was surpised to find a higher level of movements than was expected. But it was pleasing to find that a 9.2 inch gun (4th SHB Suffolk) was located at Folkestone Harbour and actually fired at an e-boat off the coast. There were two 9.2 guns in this battery and they were named: 1. SM Cleeve: after the man who was the expert on railway arty in WW1 and established the Super Heavy Regiments at Catterick. He also found the remains of the big guns at Chilwell in1939 and here is the description of that event as told in 1982. The Major recounted his experiences in the early 1980’s: ‘It was a fruitless task until I reached the RAOC depot at Chilwell, (Nottingham). Seeing 'an enormous and derelict transport shed away on the perimeter', he led the way there: With the greatest of difficulty, we forced the rusted doors open and gasped at what we saw. On the left were Boche-Buster, Scene-Shifter and Gladiator [three WWI 14in guns], but none with any barrels. On the other two lines were about nineteen 9.2in Mark 13 guns and 12in howitzers, in a deplorable state, just as they were abandoned in 1919. Hogg, Allied Artillery of World War Two, (1998) - Doug Richards, Tank-Net forum. 2. EE Gee: was the name of the second gun but I havent yet found any detail on this chap (assuming that it is a person). Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
A possible candidate: Colonel Ernest Edward Gee CBE DSO MC Born : 1889 Woolwich, London Died : 2nd April 1959, Worthing Sussex WW1 service with 270th Seige Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Obituary published in the Gunner May 1959. Guy
Brilliant response, and it would be worthy of a good man to name a gun after him. Many thanks for those little snippets, From TNA: Reference: WO 372/7/229035 Description: Medal card of Gee, Ernest Edward Regiment No. 270th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Second Lieutenant Royal Garrison Artillery Acting Major Date: 1914-1920 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record
