It thought the architecture was not very muslim orientated.....
It thought the architecture was not very muslim orientated.....
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
The picture shown is of Biarritz - so might the original artifact shown be something to do with the bombing of Biarritz by the USAF in March 1944 ? (Biarritz Bombardement). One of the contemporary reports mentions some of the bombs being dropped into the sea - could these metal fragments be the melted casing of an incendiary bomb?
Philip
Last edited by DrPMC; 12-02-2015 at 07:25 PM.
I will take a stab.. Ordinance that wasn't fired. Perhaps hit by incendiary bombs and exploded. An ammo dump or bunker remains?
Bunker hit by a flamethrower and set off ordinance? I will say Normandy somewhere along Omaha beach.
Looks like a confined space explosion with a continuous fire that melted the copper jacket of the round mixed with brass of the shell... That's the best I have..
Hi there Chaps. Looks like someone's a surfer? :-) It is indeed Biarritz (SW France). The bay known as Cote de Basque to be precise. Looks like between you all you pretty much got it. (though no flamethrower action here) If you look at the last pic where it looks like a landslide, up here was a bunker. It has fallen due to erosion. I have heard a few different stories about this building. An elderly French gent told me it had a big fire, but no date. Someone else said it collapsed due to erosion. Maybe its a mixture of the 2. Someone else informed me that it had a fire and all the brass shell cases stored for recycling melted into a large pool of brass and that is what I am finding. I have dug about 100 pieces of these ranging from 'fit in palm of hand' to 30cms or so long. The shell cases pictured above, are what these coral shaped bits were originally before melting. If you look closely, you can see the remains of these shell ends that haven't totally melted embedded in the piece.! That's fine, but the sea itself is a good distance from this bunker and I also found these half way up the hill itself. How did they end up submerged in water from here? Does anyone have photos or information regarding this bunker please? From any year would be good, the more the better. In the vicinity I have unearthed a couple of these cases in steel, from tail end of the war as brass was getting scarce. From the amount of bits I have dug up, there must have been a lot of melted shell cases, assuming that in all this time many more must have been found by others over the years. If anyone can help with pictures, info, plans, diagrams or a direction to a site showing The Atlantic Wall from here southwards I would be very grateful. Most info I'm finding relates to the northern areas. As promised I am ready to make a donation of 100 sterling (158 U.S. approx.) to WRF. Thank you all for your interest, in the next day or two I will post some other pics of these brass 'corals' but right now, better get out my credit card. Thanks again in anticipation for any info, heresay, rumours or pics regarding this bunker. Sorry no idea on the type number/model it was. Kind regards, Francis.
Hi Philip. You are right about the 'bombardment' on Biarritz. I read up on some reports from the (American) pilots/flyers themselves that flew on this mission, which was to bomb the airfield I think (sorry cant remember where this was or the site). One was particularly open and frank. Not a quote but along the lines of: there were flashes from the harbour/port area below and some of the planes dropped bombs here as thought it was AA fire from pontoon mounted guns. This killed and injured quite a lot of French citizens and at the time caused a lot of resentment towards the allies. The AA fire from the harbour (alleged) has been disputed by the French (at the time) one inhabitant: "the most tragic event Biarritz has known "
I don't know if this raid had any direct outcome on this bunker. I think the aircraft were slightly more to the north. Although knowing what we know now about accuracy of dropped bombs. They could quite easily have hit this area of Biarritz too I suppose.
Any info, even (informed) speculation gratefully received though. :-)
Cheers
Francis
Finally this puzzle has been resolved, glad to see that this Fórum is invincible, knew from minute one that those 100 quid would end up at Warrelics safe
My word is my bond Jamoros. Money paid in. What a great site this is. :-) Incidentally, which island you on over there? Not much war history or metal detecting on for you mate.............. :-(
All the best, Francis
I live in Gran Canaria, fortunately not much recent war history, Regarding metal detecting, as far as I am concerned nothing to be found in the Islands, maybe a few coins and shrapnel left by the Brits on the beach
by francis
Thank you Francis! It was very kind of you.
Cheers, Ade.
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