A FULL-sized giant artillery gun will be towed through Swindon next week to commemorate those who lost their lives in the First World War.

The eight-inch Howitzer, weighing four tonnes, is the replica of a mobile artillery gun used by Britain in the First World War which was manufactured at the Great Western Railway workshops. It will travel across town next Wednesday.

Colin Hatch, a heritage and steam engineer, has borrowed the replica from the Great Dorset Steam Fair and will pull the it along using two steam traction engines.

The stunt will raise money for the armed forces charity SSAFA in the run up to the centenary of the armistice on November 11 and show passers-by the kind of weaponry soldiers faced during the war.

Colin told the Adver: “It’s made to look very similar to what was produced, although it’s not active. 

“It gives you an idea of the scale and size of this big piece of machinery. The real gun would have weighed twice as much.

“By travelling round Swindon, I want people to be inspired, to get people to think about where they are today and to think that hundred years ago those brave young men lost their lives so wickedly in that really quite disastrous war.

“If they can sit quietly for a few minutes and think what happened in the past, and realise how much freedom they’ve got in 2018 because those men and woman who lost their lives or wounded.”

The gun will leave Lotmead Farm on Wednesday morning, heading in to Swindon and over the Magic Roundabout – while avoiding rush hour traffic – and go past historically significant places around town before ending at Steam Museum at around 4pm. 

There will be chances to recreate some pictures of the real Howitzers from GWR photos as well as a talk at Swindon UTC college by Mike Pringle from the Richard Jefferies Museum who has done research on the First World War.

The Howitzer will be stationed at Steam Museum for four days for people to inspect and donate to SSAFA. 

A fundraising page has also been set up at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/swindon-great-war.