Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

**AT P Sweep** · 06-05-2017, 12:35 AM

it is actually a Boys anti tank rifle round.

Yes ~ there was some debate about it in fact ~

I have some excellent authoritarian types on board and welcome their input ~ but as I suggested there was some debate ~

The case I put it in is in fact had the original projectile was 'ripped' out ~ distorting the case ~

So after several months soaking in oil as the primer is/ was intact ~ then I discovered the nickel plated projectile hiding beneath the crud ~

This lead to some debate as to whether it was a Vickers or a Boys ~ and whether the thing was a hazard or not !

The final ( well qualified) agreement was that is was not a hazardous projectile ~ and the fact that it fitted rather neatly into the Browning case with the distorted case endorsed it being a UK variety ~

But once again thanks for your input ~

**AT P Sweep** · 06-05-2017, 04:32 AM

The last hunt was on the Saturday last week ~ as it was a bit of a fizzer regarding relics we agreed to do another short hunt the Sunday ~

As I was working Sunday night ~ we agreed on an early start ~ I was up at 06:00 with no effort at all ~

We met up at 07:50 and headed off to do some more research hunting ~ It was rare fine day for a nice change ~

Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

This was/ is rough bush country and we know was a military camp site for two units ~ both with some extremely high combat experienced history ~ and even a VC winner ~

It was cleared on the day ~ and all regrowth ~

It was hard going and targets were rare despite a lot of ferrous iron signals ~

Dwayne ~ surprisingly picked up a hall marked silver drop ear ( Angel )~ Plus a close quarter three 1940's KG VI pennies ~

I did dig a sad pannikin. razor head and a trench Art ~ rejected ~ piece ~ ( Not totally sure what the Digger was trying to create but obviously gave up on the project!)

Over the last week I cleaned up the trench art piece ~ came up real nice ~ and NO!~ It is not a joint ~ Rather a "durry" which my lady smokes ~ rollie/s!

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**AT P Sweep** · 06-08-2017, 01:38 AM

An intriguing sequence of events unfurled thsi last weekend after a MD colleague based in the Northern territory ( Australia ) did recce and came up with a identity item ~

In fact this is a first for me ~ and Darran ~

Some 18 months ago I found an ID tag ~ turns out they both joined in Cairns ( Australia ) ~ Fernleigh joined 1942 after the 2/11 th Batt. returned form North Africa;

Watson joined in 1940 ~ He would have seen it all by 1945 ~

Same town ~ same unit as Ambulance crew/s ~

(This bloke Watson ~ was court martialled as he was a corporal earlier !! Have not found yet as to why he was court martialled though !)

I have endeavoured to find a 'local' family connection with no luck thus far ~

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**AT P Sweep** · 06-23-2017, 08:23 AM

A controversy broke out again of recent in our group ~regarding various Battalions that trained aroudn these parts in 1942> 1945 ~ after I foudn a comment on Pinterest regarding the Australian twenty five pounder crew/s dragging a gun through rough ground ~

I have experienced several sites ~ on in particular which made absolutely no sense based purely on the fact the track was so ~ extremely steep on the face of a very high range ~ not so far from the known military camps!

Last year I had bought a copy of a recent publication regarding the Australian military in WWII ~

This explained how the guns crews would take their artillery piece and equipment and drag them aroudn the local rain forests in these parts for up to a week ~

The reason being that when they guns ddi go into action ~ this training resulted in the heavy guns always being right there ~ in the front line where they were needed ~

So realising I may have touched on this subject earlier I did find some great shots o fteh crews at work ~

[CENTER]

25-POUNDER GUNS OF B TROOP, 14TH FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY, BEING PULLED THROUGH DENSE JUNGLE IN THE VICINITY OF UBERI ON THE KOKODA TRAIL. MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT ARE BEING ASSISTED BY THE 2/1ST AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION.

But the sheer logistics and sheer human determination ~ drive and fortitude to drag this thing through the jungle ~ with a definite positive end result ~

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**lithgow** · 06-23-2017, 01:50 PM

Australia developed the 'Baby 25 Pounder' as a reduced barrel length and weight version for jungle warfare, although it always struck me that it would have been quicker and easier to get hold of a small number of the British 3.7" mountain/pack guns that were already in use in India/Burma and that were intended for pack mule carrying or air dropping-one of the weapons the army used postwar was the 105mm OTO Melara howitzers that were man team portable (just) for jungle use and saw use in Vietnam.

**AT P Sweep** · 06-29-2017, 12:48 AM

A little Australian History ~WELL~ if true a huge slice of history for Australian history Buffs ~

Breaker Morant's possessions may have been found at Tenterfield tip - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

- - ------- - -

A little Australian History ~WELL~ if true a huge slice of history for Australian history Buffs ~

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/breaker-morants-possessions-may-have-been-found-at-tip/8655516?pfmredir=sm&sf92850435=1&smid=Page:%20ABC% 20News-Facebook_Organic&WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic

**lithgow** · 06-29-2017, 02:51 AM

Saw that segment on 7.30-recorded it and will show it at the WAAAS meeting next Wednesday night-was interesting to see Ian Skennerton as I'd heard that he had a bad car accident a while back and wasn't fully recovered but he seemed pretty good to me!

**AT P Sweep** · 07-01-2017, 04:35 AM

Weather locally is just plain dam miserable ~ Winters here are usually cooler clear fine days but it has been rain every dand night of late ~ with rare windows of opportunity ~

So have been spending ,much of my tiem sorting through bins of relics which have accumulated into tray and boxes of detritus ~

But more importantly I have been consuming quiet a lot of my "snake oi" combo to restore many relics with spectacular results ~

One lot before treatment ~

Attachment 1088912

Top row including belt buckle ~ went back for a second treatment.

The AMF button centre left came up an absolute ripper ! Immaculate!

The part I like is that this Snake oil is environmentally friendly ~ apart from the aluminium foil ~

**lithgow** · 07-01-2017, 06:54 AM

Nifty!

**AT P Sweep** · 07-10-2017, 05:14 AM

Not often that we / I get an exclusive invitation to visit a new site of private property ~

Last week this is exactly what happened ~

My team mate decided to do a cursory look and literally gained the key to the front gate ~

The following day we rendezvoused and headed in with the highest optimism ~

The proof of occupation was very soon evident!

An intact roll of barbed wire ~ I wanted to take a sample to examine the 'weave' ~ but no cutters on hand!

One of several Gun pits ~

( Always find ti is difficult to capture the reality of such a topo / environmental shots as the camera never reveals the true 'depth ' ~ this pit for example was much deeper than the camera tells !)

A water trap of sorts ~ the ground leading into the drum is contured to trap the water ~

Batere at it's best ~

The entire area was terraced and very obviously previously occupied ~

Apart from several fire pit areas ~ the relics were pretty thin on the ground ~

But the fact that there some Sun bakers ~ relics lying on the surface was evidence of the area not being previously worked over ~

We spent some 4-5 hours walking the area ~

My best score was a (large - hat) Rsing Sun ~

The small RS is one Dwayne found ~ and still some room for speculation as it si tiny and has the horizontal pin cach mounts ~ a Tie Pin ~ (? )

Input appreciated ~