On the trail of an old gun ...

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 3

On the trail of an old gun ...

By

DAVE WILSON

The Methven Community Council is on the trail of a missing field gun — buried 47 years ago but never quite forgotten.

A search-and-recovery team has already burrowed into an old shingle pit in the Ashburton County; Council yard at Methven, but the field gun is eluding searchers.

Mr Bob Holmes, a Methven community councillor; says the artillery piece used to stand outside the Roads Board office in Methven before World War 11.

During the Japanese invasion ,scare ; of 1942, orders were issued throughout New Zealand for such display artillery pieces to be destroyed or

hidden. The Ashburton County clerk, Mr Angus Johnson, said according to local lore Methven’s gun was dumped in a shingle pit later filled in.

This became part of the county council depot at Methven.

“They seem to have a fairly good idea of where it was buried and we had no objection to them digging for it, provided they didn’t act like moles and tear up all the yard.” , Mr Holmes said a preliminary -dig two weeks ■■ ago failed to find the gito, and: now metal detectors ; were.-being used. “We’ll keep looking,... and if we find the gun, we intend putting it back on public display,” he *said.