Field-gun glory was such a blast

SPEED was the aim of the game for Army medic Private Liam Connolly who helped his team claim an unprecedented field gun victory.

Private “Speedy Bullet” Connolly (18), was part of the Defence Medical Services Training Group competing against 20 other elite gun crews at the prestigious Royal Navy Field Gun Competition in Hampshire.

Pte Connolly, from Oldham but based in Aldershot, was responsible for sprinting with cannon shells and providing bursts of power to secure silverware for himself and his crew.

After the event, Pte Connolly — who has played on the wing for Oldham RUFC — said: “The evenings are going to be so dull now!”

The discipline harks back to the heroic actions of sailors who manoeuvred enormous guns and ammunition across South Africa during the Boer War in 1899.

Trainer, Warrant Officer Paul Newman, said: “I asked them for everything and they gave me even more. Liam’s speed was pivotal to the team’s success.”






Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle