Mother of two, Army Reservist and Firefighter Controller Caroline Gallagher, aged 43, found herself firing the iconic One O’clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle, having recently marked International Women’s Day and showcasing women in the British Army.
Gunner Caroline Gallagher from 105 Regiment Royal Artillery fired the one o’clock gun from Edinburgh Castle.
Gunner Caroline Gallagher with full time District Gunner Dave Beveridge at the one o’clock gun from Edinburgh Castle on Saturday 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Gunner Caroline Gallagher fired the One O’Clock gun from Edinburgh Castle on Saturday 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day. Watched by her fire crew and crew friends Shereen Hasham (Right) and Lindsay Hopper (Left).
Gunner Caroline Gallagher fired the One O’Clock gun from Edinburgh Castle. Watched by her fire crew and crew friends.
As well as being an Army Reservist, Caroline is employed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a Firefighter Control based at Tollcross Community Fire Station, Edinburgh.
When firing the One O’clock Gun Caroline, a Gunner with 105th Regiment Royal Artillery based in Colinton, was accompanied by two colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Lyndsay Hopper from Falkirk Community Fire Station and Shereen Hasham from the McDonald Road Community Fire Station, Edinburgh.
Firefighters Control are based within one of three Operations Control Rooms in Scotland (Edinburgh, Dundee and Johnstone). They answer emergency calls and mobilise resources to the scene, playing a vital role in supporting crews to resolve incidents safely.
They train to use specialised emergency call handling techniques. During incidents, they support and protect callers in potentially life-threatening situations.
Caroline, who enlisted into the Army Reserve in 2024, is originally from Edinburgh and attended Castlebrae Community High School.
“Both roles involve working as a team, everyone has a specific role, and everyone knows their role to work best as a team.”
Caroline believes both her civilian role and her Army Reserve role complement each other. She said:
“Both roles involve working as a team, everyone has a specific role, and everyone knows their role to work best as a team.”
When asked why she joined the Army Reserve she added:
“I had been looking for ways to fill my time away from my civilian job. I had been looking at part-time jobs, but nothing really stood out for me. It wasn’t until one of my friends jokingly suggested the Army.
"I started looking into this online and when I saw the description of being an Army Reservist was adventure, learn, meet new friends, and travel all while getting paid to do so, I thought this was for me.”
“The Army has also allowed me to enjoy my hobbies; travel, physical challenges and generally keeping fit and active. It makes me want to do the things I love even more, and I get to do it with like-minded people which is even better.”
What has surprised Caroline most about being part of the Army Reserve is how quickly bonds have been formed with fellow reservists. She said:
“I’ve made so many friends over my short 10 months in the Army not only through my unit but through the assessment centre, basic training, and weekend courses.
"The Army has also allowed me to enjoy my hobbies; travel, physical challenges and generally keeping fit and active. It makes me want to do the things I love even more, and I get to do it with like-minded people which is even better.”
Caroline believes the Army Reserve has presented her with so many opportunities that some civilian jobs could never fulfil.
The British Army is recruiting right now to fill 10,000 jobs across the UK with more than 200 roles to choose from, covering everything from frontline combat and cyber security to helicopter pilots, chefs, and support roles. If you’re aged 16 to 50 and if you want to find out more about a career in the Army visit Army Jobs.
