Gunner

A Gunner, also abbreviated to Gnr., is a military rank equivalent to Private in the British Army Royal Artillery and the artillery corps of other Commonwealth armies. The next highest rank is usually Lance Bombardier, although in the Royal Canadian Artillery it is Bombardier. Historically, there was an inferior rank matross, whose duty it was to assist the gunners in loading, firing and sponging the guns. The Gunners, is a nickname for the British Royal Artillery.

A Gunner may also refer to any of the following:

• Gunner (artillery) member of the crew operating a crew-served weapon, such as an artillery piece;
• Gunner, non-commissioned member of the British RAF Regiment;
• Gunner, sailor responsible for a ship's cannons;
• Gunner, gunnery Warrant Officer of the British Royal Navy or Royal Marines;
• Air gunner, or aerial gunner, a member of an aircrew who operates a machine gun or auto-cannon;
• Gunner, an automatic rifleman specialist trained in using light machine guns or squad automatic weapon as part of a fireteam.

References

Compendium: This compendium entry is part of the knowledge base relative to the specific analysis of the Lonsdale Battalion and the wider Border Regiment, predominantly in connection with their actions and the places they were known to have been stationed or fought during the 1914-1918 period. Much of this information has come from primary sources including, but not limited to, the Lonsdale records and the Border Regiment War Diaries. Please feel free to expand and improve this resource.