A fascinating piece of First World War history has emerged from beneath the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) grounds in Vancouver, Canada. During construction work for the PNE's new amphitheater on March 27, crews unearthed a German howitzer buried approximately three meters underground.
According to James Calhoun, archivist and curator for the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Museum and Archives, the discovery was a field howitzer captured by British forces during WWI. The artillery piece was likely sent to Canada as part of a post-war program that distributed war trophies to parks and public spaces across the country.
Historical records suggest that by the 1930s, several German artillery pieces were housed at Hastings Park. Many were slated to be melted down for munitions during World War II, but it seems this particular howitzer was deliberately buried to preserve it.
The rediscovered howitzer has been transported to the Seaforth Highlanders armoury on Burrard Street, where it will eventually be displayed in their museum. Interestingly, there may be more buried war trophies at the PNE grounds, with Calhoun expressing interest in conducting ground-penetrating radar searches of the area.
Additional photographs of the howitzer, including detailed images of the barrel and loading mechanism, can be seen in the article by John Mackie, published in the Vancouver Sun.