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USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

Article about: Hi all I have now visited this airbase 46 times. FORTY SIX !!!!! And yet it STILL keeps coming up with stuff. Just when I think it's all over, and I prepare to say farewell to the place, it

  1. #1

    Default USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Hi all

    I have now visited this airbase 46 times. FORTY SIX !!!!! And yet it STILL keeps coming up with stuff. Just when I think it's all over, and I prepare to say farewell to the place, it comes up with finds in areas I thought were clear. Nothing as good as 'the watch' this time round, but still some pretty cool finds

    Within 30 seconds of turning on the MD I get a 50cal casing, then NOTHING for an hour. Then a shed load of finds in a 20ft x 20ft area. I moved to another location and spent an hour digging up the remains of shotgun cases. Then, again, loads of finds in a 20ft x 20ft area. All I can assume is that, on every previous visit, I've repeatedly missed whole chunks of ground.

    The airbase itself is now off limits, but that was pretty clear anyway. You could only search 10% of it due to various factors and my last visit there was very sparse indeed for finds. The barracks are separated into at least 6 completely different locations within a mile of the base. All are accessible and searchable apart from the HQ buildings which have a modern use. This visit was to two of the barrack sites.

    One of the finds has also finally proved the theory that the cut rounds I keep finding are pieces of trench art manufactured by the bored ground crew, and not entirely due to casings that split/ruptured in the barrel.

    This time round also seemed to be a 'button and buckle' day

    Here we go then......(my first proper use of the new image upload tool )

    Before cleaning.....

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    And now after cleaning.........

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Some nice coins today and two strange metal discs, one with markings. Any idea what they are ? Also, one of the coins looks VERY old and most certainly not dropped by the airbase occupants but sometime much earlier.

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Lots of nice buttons today as well.

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    A metal rim from, I think, binoculars. Also, an item I haven't yet ID'd or confirmed it is possibly of the right age. It could be modern. Anyone recognise it as anything wartime ?

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    A nice kit bag lock. Unfortunately, whoever threw it away was obviously in a bad mood as they twisted it enough to snap it in two. I found the pieces within a foot of each other.

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    A couple of bakelite items. A complete light switch and fitting

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Lots of buckles on this trip. The silver ones are great. The one in very good condition has 'Will Never Rust' stamped on the back. I can confirm this for the company if they still exist. 65 years + in the ground and no rust isn't bad at all !

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Quite a few toiletries this trip, two of which are a type I've not seen at this site before. One is a smokers toothpaste the other I can't quite ID yet (far right) but it has magnesium hydroxide in it

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    A few nice cartridges and a 50cal bullet. A damaged M1 carbine .30cal, a couple of 303 blanks and a 50 cal.

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    And lastly the evidence. A lighter made from cartridge brass. Soldered down the join and a nice base with a hole for the wick and column for the flint. The rusty chunk is the striker for the flint. This had been precisely fitted to the body and soldered in place. Some nice work and not inconsiderable skill involved !

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Will this place ever be empty ?

    Probably not. I'm going to have to call it a day there sooner or later though !

    Hope you like the finds

    Steve T

  2. #2

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    The metal rim and the other piece beside it are both pieces of binoculars, what type etc I'm unsure of but I'm sure thats what they are parts of

    Very nice finds as always Steve

    Thanks for showing

    Danny

  3. #3

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    I know its not the same type of bino's, but I'm sure that the currently un-identified part is the highlighted area in the image

    Thanks

    Danny

    USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

  4. #4

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !


  5. #5
    HVK
    HVK is offline
    ?

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    The old coin looks roman - so it could be interesting to investigate that one more !

  6. #6
    ?

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    The coin is a George III halfpenny ... circa 1797.

    Gary J.

  7. #7

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Thanks guys

    Good spot on the binocular part Danny...thanks.

    M3 - Nice picture. I'll have a dig about see if the part is the right era. The other piece obviously comes from the main lens.

    HVK - Yeah I thought it was Roman to begin with but I have recently been looking at some old 18th century pennies and it's what Gary J says.....George III half penny.

    Thanks all !

    Steve T

  8. #8

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Hi Steve, nice finds as always!.

    Well done on finaly finding an insert for your lighters! It's so close to mine it's uncanny. Did the "artists" get as far as soldering a stopper for the insert into the bottom half of any of the cut cartridges you've found? There was no primer on mine so a makeshift is in place until I happen across a suitable donor.

    Uncanny indeed how similar they are though. Makes me wonder if that's where mine came from. Sadly I'll never know as the lady that gave it to me passed on years ago.

    Martyn.

  9. #9

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    the brass dics with holes look like those fitted to Lee Enfield rifle butts and often marked with issue details

    Nigel

  10. #10

    Default Re: USAAF airbase Barracks - 9th September 2010 - And it STILL keeps going !

    Quote by ford369 View Post
    the brass dics with holes look like those fitted to Lee Enfield rifle butts and often marked with issue details

    Nigel
    There not marking discs, they look stamped and thin whereas the butt discs are quite thick, with a countersink for the screw. One also has a makers name whereas the butt discs are normally not marked but occasionally have a simple arsenal stamp like MA or C for Lithgow Australia, and Canada.

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