Metal traction plates found next to old road in Belgium...

[PGB]

Can anyone advise about two metal plates I've found next to an old track/road in Belgium. They are about 1.5 meters long with a series of circular holes in them and made from a ridged steel design. The ends have slight returns/holes to allow for them to be linked together. They are slightly hidden in undergrowth next to where the track goes down a hill, making the road become hidden from surrounding farmland. There is a large amount of heavy metal pieces in the area/fields surrounding these plates, which I don't think comes from farm equipment. The closest reference I've found so far on the web is the sand plates used by the LRDG in the desert for traction under the vehicles tyres. I'd be interested to know if these are British or other WW2 forces equipment...

[sandgroper]

I couldn't tell you mate and there's a good chance no one else can without a photo.

[TestMatch]

Most likely Marsden Matting, have a look at this link and see if is similar

Marsden Matting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[PGB]

Thanks to TestMatch, it is Marsden Matting but I have no idea why it should be in such a remote place. There are two pieces by the side of a track that at best is a rough farm track that leads between fields near Brain' L'Alleud in Belgium. There is certainly no way it would have been used for airfield use in it's current position due to the lay of the land being too hilly. I thought they were for traction as I've seen pieces on the side of British vehicles, mainly scout cars. I will try to photo them and post it to the thread anyway as it's an interesting find... there's also a lot of metal pieces in the surrounding fields, about 5cm to 15cm and 10-20mm thick. At first I thought this was farm debris but the more I look the more you find and it fans out from a central source being the track. I wondered if something had been parked on the track and then exploded, throwing the metal plate outwards. It's right where the track goes from being level with the fields down into a sunken track that drops 25 feet below the surrounding fields... great place to hide out of view from anyone traveling the area...

[big ned]

Agree with TM, it sure sounds like PSP, we call it Pierced Steel Planking around here. There is still a lot of it around in the hedges and fields around RAF Cosford, and in an area of nearby Weston Park which was used as an AuxLG for Wimpy's and Spit's.

Regards, Ned.

[stuka f]

Farmers do actualy use them often to have a better acces to muddy area's.
I often buy them at military stock's for that purpose, I think they are still produced!
cheers
|<ris

[PGB]

The location is also near a Bailly bridge left over from the war that fords a small stream further down the road. The bridge links two car parks between superstores and still has it's green paintwork, it is used by cars daily. There appears to be a lot of stuff left around if you look for it, further across the field is the remnants of a bunker plus some undefined armoured concrete features which I can't identify as anything specific...