RRPG big dig weekend - Day 2 - British army dump

**Steve T** · 04-25-2013, 02:09 PM

Hi all

The day after the RAF base dump dig, ( https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/battl...e-dump-292739/ ), the group went to dig the British army dump. Unfortunately, because of various factors not many people showed up, and those that did, (apart from eddy8men who was running around like a lunatic, WITH a wheelbarrow !!!!), were so knackered from the day before there wasn't much digging done. However, the little that we did brought up some good finds. Not our normal volume, but decent never the less.

Before cleaning.............

RRPG big dig weekend - Day 2 - British army dump

Sten gun Mk 5 stocks.

Need to be very careful cleaning this little beauty (thanks eddy8men !). Vickers handle !

I have cleaned some bits, with others already soaking in various different liquids and solutions.

Three nice Lee-Enfield butt plates

Lee-Enfield oiler bottle; an LE ID disc but it only has the WD arrow; A broken 30cal; An odd tube that at first I thought was a little oiler bottle. However, when I had finished cleaning it I noticed it was in two pieces......

......and my first thought was a lipstick holder. But, if it is, why out of brass, why in a British army dump and why when we have found nothing else 'feminine' on the whole site in 2 years of digging !! No markings on it that I can make out. Anyone recognise it?

Lots of MG cloth belt starter tabs on this visit, with one peculiar one.

Markings on the front and back of the longer Browning starter tabs.

And now the odd one. When first dug I immediately recognised it as a Vickers starter tab. However, when cleaned it revealed 'US' clearly on one side. On the other side, (very feint so you need to take my word for it), it reads 'MADE BY MILLS WOVEN CARTRIDGE BELT CO 1913' and then underneath that a patent number, and underneath that 'WORCESTER, MASS, USA'. How odd !

Cheers

Steve T

**m3bobby** · 04-25-2013, 05:27 PM

Some corrections Steve, the vickers spade grips are from a Browning .50 cal by the looks of it, the vickers left and right grips wernt attached together like that.

Ref. the possible Lip Stick, My father found one at the dump, made of brass, still with lip stick No.5 in it, It was posted in one of the dump threads. The give away at first was the twisty bottom before the cap came off revealing the red No.5. I tried to get the wife to try it but she was having none of it.

The butt plates are Enfield No.4 butt plates

I think your odd starter tab is from the cloth Colt-Vickers .30 ammo belt for said gun given to the UK after dunkirque.

**Richard_J** · 04-25-2013, 06:07 PM

I'm not so sure it's from a fifty, given the location and the starter tabs, I'd say a twin grip Browning M1917 (a few on google images)....

**m3bobby** · 04-25-2013, 06:12 PM

The Browning 1917 never had twin grips, just a single grip like the 1919A4. The aircraft ANM2 could have twin grips fitted but these were US airforce guns which were never given to UK forces as the light barrel would overheat in noral ground roles.

**Richard_J** · 04-25-2013, 06:19 PM

What about Colt made versions, I have a few Colt stamped starter tabs from the dump?

http://www.imfdb.org/images/c/c3/Col...atercooled.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4033/4...3b303b0e_z.jpg

**m3bobby** · 04-25-2013, 06:32 PM

They are commercial Colt MG38s, based on the 1917A1. The Spade grips were of a similar design to the ANM2 and look similar to the .50 cal M2 Spade grips. The main obvious difference is that the MG38 Spade grips have a kink in the bottom link whereas the relic ones are straight.

**Steve T** · 04-25-2013, 07:24 PM

Thanks for the correction m3

As for the lipstick, the bottom doesn't seem to turn, hence why I thought it was something else. I'll get it heated up when I get home, see if I can budge it. Appeared to be wood inside as well......

**eddy8men** · 04-26-2013, 10:01 PM

hi fella's

had a great day on the dig and the dump was amazing, i never would have dreamed it contained so much kit. i look forward to the day i can go back with my mini digger and daf 4 tonner

i went with the intention of collecting as many besa ammo boxes as possible and although there were well over a hundred on the surface they were all pretty much passed it but i still managed to find enough for the cromwell and with a bit of cleaning and painting they should come up nicely.
in the pic you can see the besa boxes (with handles) in the middle, to the right are 3 vickers water cans, to the left are the square ammo boxes for the 15mm besa which was used in the humber armoured car and on the far right the ammo shutes and can holders for the besa or at least that's what i think they are as i have never seen one in a vehicle or anywhere else for that matter but they look about right. if anyone has a pic of it fitted i would very much like to see it as i will rebuild one and fit it to the cromwell if it's correct for that vehicle in ww2.

all the best

rick

**m3bobby** · 04-26-2013, 10:05 PM

Rick, your Vickers water cans are Browning 1917 steam chests.

**eddy8men** · 04-27-2013, 06:40 PM

thanks mate it's always nice to have an expert on side. by the way if you see anything you want just let me know.
the real finds will come out when a bit of machinery gets on the dig and we can go industrial on it. just with a spade in the space of an hour i found bits from vickers, boys, lee enfield, .30 cal and .50 cal as well as a bayonet and other bits that i can't identify. it's going to be epic

rick