Just got back from holiday in Devon. My wife very kindly finally gave in to my plea's and I was able to make an impromptu 3 hour visit to Slapton sands.
This thread gives good details on what happened there.....
......a very touching place with A LOT of history.
The reason for the close call was due to something I have never come across before.
I was doing my normal MD sweep in front of me and gazing around for likely spots, as per usual. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like the air in a tyre being let out. I stopped, looked around and thought... 'What the hell is that hissing noise?'. I looked down to where I was sweeping in front of me, and there, on top of a clump of grass, basking in the morning sunshine was this little bugger.
AN ADDER !!!!
These are not normally seen in England as David Attenborough has 99% of them on contract to only appear for him.
On a serious note, If I hadn’t clouted it on the head with my detector, I WOULD have stepped on it !! One can only wonder at the outcome……
Anyways, the 3 hours were spent in almost total frustration for the first 2hours, finding nothing but modern crap. I did find 5 pound coins which paid for my parking later in the week, but this was small consolation !
Here is a group shot of the finds. Anyone recognise anything that is WW2 please post a reply (apart from the stuff I have already ID’d of course)
Pieces of artillery shell/mortar round and some bits of drive band.
I don't think this is WW2 but you never know. Seems to be some kind of starter fluid.
BIG NED !! Look what else I damn well found ! Best condition one I've ever found to be honest. One of those flaming RMC Heckmondwike tags !!
Eventually I hit a spot that gave me a 30cal. I was so excited I nearly rang Ade ! Within the space of 10 feet I’d found loads more.
Now I know compared to you guys over in Eastern Europe these are not much, but for me, especially given the location they were found in and the fact that the last person to touch them before me was a US soldier, these are awesome finds.
30calibre cartridge cases......from Slapton sands. A real piece of history. I've got goose bumps all over again
That's the lot.
I've included some photos below of the Sherman and the monuments at the site.
Apart from the obvious, the only thing that I would say that is probably WW2 is the set of MaGill forceps which probably came out of a combat medics field set.
They're not bad finds at all, we went to Slapton Sands for a week in December 2007, I had always wanted to visit there, I spent a couple of hours a long the track behind the beach. All ifound was .30 cal, quite a few of them, I spoke to some locals in the pub at the top of the hill, a lot of stuff has been found locally, and still gets washed up on the beach during storms.
The Adder isn't so nice though, we often see them out here in the Summer, I run a mile, got bitten by one in Brecon many ears ago.
Nice finds Steve! The poor old Sherman looks to be getting past restoration, probably held together by paint.
RMO Heckmondwike tags??? Not by chance anything to do with Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire is it? If so... local research time, it's 8 mins walk away. Let me know please.
Slapton sands - July 2010 - Close call !!!
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by zwerge
, i hate snakes.
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