Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

[AT P Sweep]

next to the shirtless digger is packing a US .45 M1911A1

Good call there , mate ~

I would have thought the 303 would make a much cleaner shot than a 45 ACP ~ eh?

Or would that have been " a more effective stopping power/ effect" ?

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[AT P Sweep]

Very recently while having an email show and tell ~ actually all about bottle collection~ "Torch" / Sean spotted the shell case in my collection which I had simply filed as ~ " rare / unusual 40mm / 2 pounder" and left at that until i decided to / time to act on it ~

Sean was good enough to ID it before I even had cleaned it ~ as a 40 MM Bofors

But even better still he called the manufacturer ~ another Canadian manufacturer ~

"The PP/C is pedlar people ltd,canada"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedlar_People_Limited

Thanks Mate ~

Now working on the 105 MM M14 case I have also filed under 'later' ~

[AT P Sweep]

DId a solo ~ early hunt today on the "Live Fire range" ~

Good start ~ cool early ~ again high UV and forecast 28 deg. C. east wind from Coral sea cool operation ~
Early finds included Mills base screws and ~ US 30 cal. M! cases ~

Pushed on to find more Mills bases ~ an unidentified piece (?) ~

Hundreds of 303 cases and shrapnels ~

First clean up ~



But the quandary is what are the fuzes ~ ( I stopped digging as they appear as insignificant!)

Appreciate any input ~ my research says they are part of the Mills Bomb ~ but the fact they have a threaded outer ~ does not fit the Mill structure! (?) )

Again the Mills base plugs are all dated 8/41 ~


And any tips on the larger piece ? ~ Seems to the dimensions/ pattern of a rifle butt piece !

[AT P Sweep]

Some resolve ~ Sean AKA Torch offered some comment ~

Thanks mate ~

I have trouble getting my head around the size of the piece and associating with the Mills bomb !

Hey mate,the pieces you circled in the bottom picture are the torn off bases of the screw in striker fuze holder,the pieces with the lines pressed into them are the upper part of that same piece,

When the explosive detonates it presses the tube onto the spring so hard it leaves those lines..

The piece you circled in the top picture is the igniter block that holds the primer and the slow burning match that dictates the time delay and on the end of that delay is the detonator itself which initiates the main charge..

On the right of the top picture is the complete assembly with from bottom to top..base plug,igniter block assembly,screw in striker fuze holder with the strikers and spring installed !

Sample photo only ~

A trench block, showing Mills Grenades and rifles (left).

Captured possibly German stick hand grenades in bags and empty mess tins (right).

The success of the battle at Stormy Trench was largely due to the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel (then Captain) Henry William Murray, VC, CMG, DCM, DSO and Bar, 13th Battalion, for which he won the VC.

February 1917

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Murray

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Gueudecourt

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[AT P Sweep]

I had to chuckle on Bris Gazza's comment about walking through brush in his QLD towns post ~


My last outing I actually decided as the site was relatively thin brush and any Joe Blakes can be easily spotted ~ ( Been burnt off in last 6-9 months ~ ) to water my shorts rather than the camo longs ~


I wore the snake gaiters just to be safe'r ~ but at the end of the day I noted I had a large laceration on the back of my left knee ~ Opps ~

The spindly tall grass had slipped between the top of the gaiter and the shorts and simply slashed my leg ~ I didn't even notice ~


Just goes to show ~ Might have been much cooler but leaves one more than a little vulnerable ~


Looks good this weekend ~ but serious rain headed our way Sunday and into Monday ~

[AT P Sweep]

Update coming soon ~

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[AT P Sweep]

Well~ definitely feeling a tad stereo typed of late ~ but as to be seen a couple of finds both forth the comment from my partner Merete ~ that she totally understands why I get so excited on some finds ~


I may be bogged down in WWII sites mostly but I ALWAYS seem to bring home extraordinary and or unusual ~ * even if it is merely glassware ~

The first was a final return to the fire range ~ for now ~ But again a little different ~

The Mortar ( 2") fins ~ not seen them before with the steel attachment rings ~


The intriguing part/s were the Grenade "handle" components ~ ( and ~ if one wants to be pedantic ~ there are two separate 'model' grenade handles as can be seen in the schematics of the grenades ~

he mortar primers including an intact live Primer I found some time ago ~

And the mortar primers which the site has an abundance of and I simply stopped digging ~ are a mystery as they have No headstamp ~

I suggested that maybe they are USA Military supply as the USA DID start supply Australian forces with equipment from insignificant small such as webbing, boot gaiters ( which I find hordes of the fasteners ~ and small arms to 155mm Long Tom artillery ~


Note the HUGE "Igloo'~ in the back ground ~ ( And yes blokes ~ it is an Igloo ~ I have never heard of a Nissan hut! )

TOLGA, QLD. 1944-04-11.

A MOBILE HEAVY CARRIAGE GUN 155 MM. MARK 1.1941. IN THE TRAVELLING POSITION, WITH THE LIMBER AT THE REAR SUPPORTING THE SPLIT TRAIL.


MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERS ATTACHED TO THE 13TH ADVANCED ORDNANCE DEPOT ARE SEEN PUTTING THE TARPAULIN COVERS OVER THE GUN. (AWM)

T

[AT P Sweep]

First hunt to be rained out ~

Second visit to this new site ~

~ Been worked over pretty hard over the years but I had a theory which worked out to a degree ~

A short hunt as I was rained out ~ but promised to be back home within a time frame anyway ~

I used the Garrett ATP was it has the small coil and things are pretty close quarters here ~ A fair bit of trash and misc smalls being a workshop zone `


A mix of bits and pieces ~ the Bottle is Melbourne Glass comp. most likely a hair oil bottle ~

The best of after being cleaned up ~ The buckles is only the second of this type I have uncovered ~

The tube I believe is a US Army issue tent rope tensioner ~ first I have seen ~

LAE, NEW GUINEA, 1944-03-24.

MEMBERS OF THE 2/124TH BRIGADE WORKSHOP ATTACHED TO THE 7TH DIVISION PICTURED USING EQUIPMENT. QX14091 CORPORAL J. H. GAY (1), IN THE BACKGROUND, ELECTRICALLY ARC WELDS A BROKEN PIECE OF MACHINERY. NX79391 CRAFTSMAN (CFN) S. ROBSON (2), AND WX6546 CFN G. A. RIPP (3), CUT A ROLLED STEEL GIRDER USING AN OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH.

[AT P Sweep]

So last week I took a punt on a window of opportunity between rainfalls to do a hunt.

A good 20 minute drive one way with cautious eye on the skies ~ I set about doing my best ~ But I only 'survived for around 45 minutes ~

I had in fact spent almost an hour talking with a neighbouring property owner about access their property ~in point the rear of the farm ~ This I now have permission to access ~

I found a few misc pieces but nothing of real value or collectible ~ but I did find the remains of an imploded shell case and projectile < 1890> 30:30 Head stamp Lyle Kynoch ~

Also found a cache of spent 303 shell cases, plus ferrous metal ~ and infamous water bung/s ~ plus notorious tent eyelets ~

Several days later I was able to take the same punt on the weather and I managed a few hours in the same site ~

I actually neglected or felt confident enough to leave the wet weather gear in the car ~ this did not pan out well for me ~ as i discovered a target area but persevering despite the rain I was saturated ~

After finding a few pieces I then found an area of good quality signals ~ but the rains returned and I ended up drenched ~ before retreating with a determination to return next opportunity ~

The Triangular piece I believe is a trench art representing perhaps the 2/3rd Pioneer Batt ~ ( but there are many units using the triangular symbol )

Between August and November the battalion suffered 28 men killed and 46 captured. Alamein was a vital, although bloody, success for the Allies and one of the war's turning points. The 9th Division, however, was recalled to Australia to face a new enemy - the Japanese. The 2/3rd returned to Australia in early 1943.

After leave, the battalion underwent jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland but would soon return to action.

AWM

The 1912 Penny is in excellent condition ~ as is the AMF button and the even the buckles ~

But intriguing that I recently have found a large number of Mills grenade frags and now for the first time I now find same frag in a totally unrelated site !! Is that quantify a "run" ~ not quite as impressive as Rising Suns run ~ but still ! LOL

The variations on the projectiles is intersting as one actually has 'snub nose' ~ not sure if that is a one off handmade or a stock issue ~

The casing has the projectile inverted ~ has been suggested the powder was sometimes used to start a fire and the projectile simply put back before being discarded?

Trouble is we were planning on travelling to Townsville this weekend ~ but now Stuart has had a workplace incident and can barely walk let alone go on a MD hunt ~

WONDECLA, ATHERTON TABLELAND, QLD. 1945-01-19. 2/3 PIONEER BATTALION TROOPS GIVE AN "EYES RIGHT" IN THE MARCH PAST AS THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE PLATOON DRILL CONTEST DURING THE 9 DIVISION GYMKHANA AND RACE MEETING HELD AT THE HERBERTON RACECOURSE.
AWM

( Wonder if the Mascot is calling ~ "Weft-Wright ~ weft wright!!" ? )

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[AT P Sweep]

Just been approached ~ regarding this Grenade. Found locally in a farmer's paddock !

I believe it is a Practice / Drill grenade and would be deemed as inert ~ Yes!?