Susteren was in the frontline from the end of September 1944 until mid-January 1945. The devastation caused by shelling was immense, and the inhabitants who stayed behind went through hell. When the Germans evacuated the village on 16 January 1945, they left the cannon behind. Major Evans, commander of the British liberators, donated the cannon as a permanent reminder of Susteren.

The village community still cherishes the war trophy with pride today. A councillor recently put it as follows: "London has the Tower Bridge, Paris has the Eiffel Tower. And we, we have this cannon."

The cannon weighs about 6,000 kilograms. The four white rings on the barrel represent direct hits and prove that the Susteren cannon was deadly effective. The cannon was restored and given back its original sand colour and markings in 2001.