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Wartime guns head south to aviation museum

Wartime guns head south to aviation museum
20 June 2018

Two anti-aircraft guns from the Scapa Flow Museum at Lyness are being transported to a new home in Dumfries.

A third gun is also expected to travel to the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum at a later date.

The Dumfries museum will carry out conservation work before putting one of the guns on display and making the others available on loan to other museums that have expressed an interest in showing them.

David Reid, the Dumfries museum’s chair and curator said: “We’re very excited that the guns have started their long journey by sea and road from Orkney.

“As an aviation museum we have a broad range of items on show – everything from engines and aircraft to a World War Two RAF control tower.

“What we were missing was an anti-aircraft gun. So we were delighted to have the opportunity to add these to our collection and arrange for their transport from Orkney.”

David added: “My dad served with the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery and operated anti-aircraft guns and searchlights throughout the war.

“So as well as adding greatly to the story we tell about wartime aviation, I am personally delighted that we will be displaying an anti-aircraft gun of the type he’d have known.”

Orkney Islands Council took the decision some time ago that the guns, which saw action in the Thames estuary during WW2, could leave the collection at Lyness if a more suitable home was found for them.

“They require maintenance and conservation and this will be carried out in Dumfries,” said Jude Callister, team leader at the Scapa Flow Museum. “It means that we can concentrate our efforts and resources on other items in our collection that have closer links with Orkney during the two world wars.”

The museum at Lyness is currently closed for major restoration and development work.

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