Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery
Article about: Hi Blokes ~ I am posting this as an going blog for interested parties that have been following my fossicking of (extensive) WWII ~ Far North Qld Australia . This area has been described in r
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But I am frustrated as to the purpose of the attached ~
Intriguing having found <six> in the area is curious ~ the shorter ones have been manually cut as the cuts are not straight and one is really rough !
The last one found has no holes ~ and has a HR symbol on the end ~ the back of the R formed against the H (??)
The "worm tube" is ~ 60.50 mm long * 16.4 mm wide ~ the rear end has a rim and is filled ~ Cordite? As it is audible when shaken!
I feel it is a firing cartridge or detonator of some sort ??
And is of no relationship to the other pieces ~ All are brass ~ the lower three are all the same diameter despite the illusion ~ Al three are hollow despite the end plug on the longer one ~
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NOW ~ Just maybe I have worked it out myself
I THINK these puppies are in fact Primer flash cartridges ~ that is a tube which evenly distributes ignition to the main base charge in aan artillery shell !
Maybe
I have found several 'ink drawings' of WWII shells and they clearly show a tube at the base with holes ~ these obviously are designed to distribute the ignition flame !
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Your safety cap (the thing with 3 arms), looks to be for 2lber shell. The two caps in the last two pictures........the one with the knurled edge looks suspiciously like the cap off a Lee-Enfield oil bottle. Your other one is a primer for a larger calibre shell, hence the percussion cap. Judging from the size, I would suggest a 40mm or similar.
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I have done some more research into the Primer flash tubes.
While I have not definitely identified what shell they came from this will give a greater insight into what I am talking about ~
And I cannot say for sure if the shorter two have been cut down or simply shorter versions (?)
Ref ; http://www.milvet.state.pa.us/DMVA/D...appendix_l.pdf
Ordnance QF 25-pounder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
After all 25 pounder units were relatively common around here in WWII ~
25 Pounder guns firing, 8th Army, colour footage - YouTube
Additionally the cutaway in the left of the photo is from a 25 lber shell ~
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Put in a mid week Fossick at my Fun Park ~ again in Water World ~
(Last Saturday I was "attacked" by Duck lice and my rear end is "riddled " with welts ~ )
So this time I was intent on wearing the yellow plastic pants ~ but it was just too hot so I ditched them .. wiped my lower section and shorts with Rid and vowed to not go lower in the water than my crotch ! Seems the hairy legs deter the lice ??)
As the water has dropped another <1/2 metre> this was no problem ~ although several targets I had to reach with my pick and drag into shallow water ~
I spent some 2 1/2 hours hunting ~ all in the water ~ and picked some good scores yet again ~
Around 15.30 a storm threatened to close in ~ so I bolted for the shed ~
But some great scores ~ I really had to dig for the spoon ~ and in fact got so frustrated with it as I had no idea and started scrounging by hand before I found the unseen handle and still had no idea what I was digging out of the stoney clay bottom, until I pulled it free !
But a great 2 1/2 hours ~
Got to be happy ~
Sixpence King George V 1926 – nice
Penny King George V 1934
2 * 1/2 pennies King George VI 1943 ~ those 1943 coins are dominant ~
Both shoulder badges found close to each other and as were the coins !
2 * ACMF tunic buttons
All targets under water ~
The "workshop site" is filled with mixed targets and this is where I found several silvers last Saturday .. so it is areal lottery as to which targets to dig ~
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Decided at 12.00 midday I would head out ~ perfect day ~
On site around 13.00 ~ decided to wander over one of my favorite well flogged sites and blow me if it did not start producing ~
Note smashed beer bottle ( in true Aussie style) on the left !
Amongst the known trash and detritus a few webbing buckle s started to pop up .. I was hooked ~ But decided I wanted to try out the new modified poop scoop ~ and headed off to the water ~
Started out very slow and heaps of trash. In fact considered going back to the dry land stuff ~ but then a few coins appeared ~
Then i spotted three star pickets which essentially yelled .. Tent site right this way !
And it was on ! Then I scored my first ring ~ ( once cleaned up it looks like trench art. But it is not bent and fits my left hand pinky finger perfectly ~
Then I scored a brilliant Rising Sun ~ even has the enamel in place! I mean this puppy has been under Sun ~ mud..water for over 70 years ~ Woww!!
It may well have even been in combat in North Africa and travelled the World ~ even been over he Kokoda track and back before falling foul on home territory ~ !!
As aid I ran out of time ~ But a good run yet again ~
1940 Six pence
1944 Penny
2nd penny unknown as yet
(Top right ) brass nut ??
AUST CMF button
Razor base plate – nice
This piece found on the Grassy Knoll is intriguing ~ it had a small cylinder attached to the opposite or top side ~ which broke off ~ it has cotton pad inside ~ ???
Any Help appreciated ~
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This piece found on the Grassy Knoll is intriguing ~ it had a small cylinder attached to the opposite or top side ~ which broke off ~ it has cotton pad inside ~ ???
Any Help appreciated ~
Fag lighter...? Cylinder for the fuel, with the cotton inside to soak it up (like a Zippo etc) and the bit attached to it would contain the flint/striker mechanism etc?
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Thanks Mike ~
Kind of obvious when one thinks about it eh
Cheers
SS
BTW: Nice collection you have there ~
I am still looking for a Bren Gun or an Own SMG around here ~ must be one lurking around here ~ some-where! ~ LOL
Last edited by AT P Sweep; 09-22-2013 at 02:47 AM.
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09-22-2013, 12:12 PM
#100
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