Pre D Day battleground Training Area.

[Vegard T]

So I finished cleaning the 7.92 round I put in vinegar(For about 24 hours) with a bit of steel wool and all I can say is: AMAZING!

The round was in quite bad condition, and if I wanted it in this condition, I would have had to do a lot of work with brushing it.

[Steve T]

Good job Vegar Vinegar is so cheap as well......it's going to save me a fortune in the rust removing products that I used to use

Steve T

PS Very nice early headstamp as well. They only switched to the three letter codes in 1941 (replacing the P number coding), and it's nice to see one with that date.

[Whitehunter]

Maybe it would be a good idea to start a cleaning thread then we could all add to it different methods and learn which is best for what item.

John

[Vegard T]

Here we have one for the vinegar:

Relic cleaning - White Vinegar

[Dirt Detective]

Now this is of a slightly different design being shorter than a Bazooka tail it also exhibits prominent studs so Im thinking it could be part of a British Piat round?

Attachment 269192

I looked but not sure if you found the info on this relic part.. If not what is shown here is the early H.E. Bazooka body. When the warhead exploded it took part of the tube with it. Here you see the same part just not as rusty.

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Dirt Detective,
Nice pictures thanks for upload them, its great to see your good condition relics for comparison with my finds. Thanks for confirming them as early models of the H.E.A.T. Bazooka.
My search site is unusual in that as well as the early version of Bazooka body it's also yielded two later models and yet it was only used by US forces for a couple of months prior to DDay. So all types must have been in use at the same time
LUCKYSTRIKE

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Ive recently been having a go at trying to clear the back log of finds awaiting cleaning from this site. There are amongst these exhibits a few items not seen before from this site.

A selection of US 60 and 81mm mortar fins and one British 3 inch.



This fin is slightly different in that it has part of the inner edge folded over flat. Im guessing to provide a more stable flight?, this appears to be from a US 60mm mortar, is it a later model ?



An interesting relic but I have no idea what it is. It was dug from the same level as the WW2 relics and that is what I'm hoping it is and not just a post war bicycle part



A couple more practice Bazooka bodies with detach counter balance weights.



at last Ive got one something Ive been after for a while. The nose cone from a US Bazooka. Obviously it's suffered damage when it came to earth after launching.



A few fragments of various mortar fuses





A large slither of mortar shrapnel, which from its length and design appears to come from a US 81mm.



This is the first Ive found a steel fin from a British Smoke Bursting 2 inch Mortar. When recovered this was just a mishapen lump of thick rust, but 1 weeks work and liberal use of vinegar has brought it back to this. Nicely dated Jan 1945.





The mounting plate and handle from a wooden ammo box.



Rifle grenade tails and fin.



This period spark plug and the dip stick were found near each other.



A Britsh enameled cup as used by the Army and a US Army fork.



The fork has seen better days but Im happy to have it, I actually like its very relic look



This cup has lost it's handle which is probably why it was lost, it appears to have been ripped off perhaps getting caught on something during full kit training?



This final item was found in the spoil dumped behind a former slit trench, I guess the contents were gratefully drunk during an over night battle scenario.



Thanks for looking.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[GasMasksUK]

Your "bicycle part" is the foresight protector from an L1A1 SLR, very nice

Thanks

Danny

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Danny,
That's superb thanks for the ID very good news, Ive just checked up on the weapon which was in British Army use from 1954 to 1984. I've also discovered my site continued for training use with the British Army during the 1950s. But Im well impressed with how quickly you replied.
LS

[dangermouse]

Great finds! Those bazooka bits are amazing