The Garrison Artillery
Volunteers (GAV) were formed over 30 years ago in the early 1990's to
promote the understanding and interpretation of the UK's wartime
coastal defences. The group soon found itself branching out
into field artillery supported by an anti-aircraft and searchlight
section.
The GAV are a group of volunteers whose
aims are to rediscover and learn all technical aspects of gunnery during the 20th Century. We demonstrate the skills of both male and female gunners using period equipment. Passing this knowledge on via educational demonstrations enabling us to give a future to artillery of the past.
The GAV is truly an international organisation with membership from North Yorkshire to the south coast, Holland, Czech Republic, Belgium and Malta. The main base is in
and around Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire with a large section in
Yorkshire and Lancashire. There are also smaller sections in Bristol and Essex.
This regional structure, supplemented by members from other
parts of the country, provides the group with flexibility to put
on numerous small local events as well as coming together for much larger events when required.
