A ROYAL Navy serviceman from Burnley showed his gun skills in a prestigious contest inspired by the heroic actions of sailors during the Boer War.

Weapon engineering technician Ryan Day, along with 17 others from the crew on board HMS Campbeltown, took part in the Royal Navy Field Gun competition.

The competition pays homage to sailors who carried enormous guns and ammunition across the South African terrain during the Boer War in 1899.

Ryan, who took on the role of ‘speedy bullet’ in the crew, had to carry out consecutive shuttle runs to get the shells to the gun.

He said: “Running the gun represents teamwork at its very best.

"You have to think on your feet and everyone has to work for each other or things will go disastrously wrong quickly.”

When the Boers besieged the British Army at Ladysmith sailors carried guns from HMS Terrible and HMS Powerful, based hundreds of miles away in Durban.

Many of the main artillery barrels were removed from the warships and converted into mobile field guns and the trek across country began.

At the competition on Saturday Ryan and his teammates had to haul the one-ton of equipment up and down the 150-metre course.

The crews had to dismantle and reassemble the heavy equipment several times.

Ryan, who went to St Theodore’s RC High School in Burnley and Fisher More High School in Colne, has been in the Navy for three years.

He said: “The action may only last about one and a half minutes but fingers get battered, knuckles get cracked and all of your body takes a severe pounding.

“What those guys went through in South Africa must have been awesome – I feel so proud to have been selected to acknowledge their fantastic achievements.”