Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

[AT P Sweep]

Two more hunts same areas~ a team hunt and a solo on Wednesday ~

Real Tiapan Snake Country for sure ~ tred carefully ~ very Carefully, Digger ~ a long way form Medical assistance here !!!!!!!






The Shell case Off cut was a revelation as it is 75 mm Shell ~ and the only Common place shell was associated with the Grants Tanks which were in place on the Tablelands ~


Had to dig to Tasmania for this off cut ~ brilliant signal ~

Still bewilders me as to how the Heck did they damage these buttons after all they are solid Brass!(?)

Unfortunately the two Thrips are Denver and a San Francisco i do have a few Melbourne mints ~

Second of these plates I have found ~ but to suit What? Consecutive low numbers(?)

ROWS OF NEW AMERICAN GRANT M3 MEDIUM TANKS GIVE SOME INDICATION OF THE RAPID AND POWERFUL ARMING OF AUSTRALIA'S ARMOURED DIVISIONS. THESE TANKS EMBODY MOST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT FOLLOWED THE EXPERIENCES OF TANK UNITS IN THE EARLIER STAGES OF THE WAR, PARTICULARLY IN LIBYA. (NEGATIVE BY CRANSTONE).

WATSONVILLE FAR NORTH QLD. 1944-04-28. GENERAL GRANT M3 MEDIUM TANK, NAMED CURLY, OF THE 2/9TH ARMOURED SQUADRON ADVANCING UNDER COVER OF THE BUSH BEFORE AN ATTACK ON CHURCH KNOLL AND CATHEDRAL KNOLL, TWO POINTS WHICH THE 2/6TH INFANTRY BATTALION ARE TO ASSAULT DURING A COMBINED ARMS TRAINING EXERCISE.

The Tent Main centre pole mount DM found several weeks back ~ Second one I have both solid Brass ~ (And some!)

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[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #473



Previously I reset the Nox with significantly altered tones and signals ~ which work ed well but interesting in the back yard I ame across these ~ two `

A Flash primer tube form a US 105 mm shell case which i lost several years ago ~ lets not go there Okay ~ LOL

Warming up a bit here ~ thankfully no threats of fires in FNQ ~ Headed of real early ~ and was on site around 06:30 ~

Beautiful time of day to be out in the fields ~


An old site but due to the dry the grass has laid down severely ~after alll this is our dry season ~ Plus new Settings~ again ~ and a new approach ~ I almost instantly pulled an intact AMF coat button in great shape ~


Another 50 m and I found a rubbish dump remanent~ I spent over an hour digging the same area ~ retrieving buckles and misc oddments but then a Bewt 1942 Ram's head shilling ~ Been so long I thought it was a ten cent coin at first ~

I scanned the area and scored more coins KG VI 1942 and 1944 ~


As the say warmed up I mved camp and took in a Smoko before working on a theory about the Interlopers that have worked this area and my theory was dead to rights as I found more coin and misc including a Razor head and even a razor handle with the Zinc coat intact well 80% ~

By 12:30 I was knackered and called it a day, after all i was up very early ~ to beat the heat ~ Home by 14:00.

Coastal Defenders manning a machine gun post, fsr North Queensland, January 1942.

Far North QLD. 1943-08-19. A SECTION OF THE 2ND AUSTRALIAN PACK TRANSPORT COMPANY MOVING ALONG A ROAD IN THE CAMP AREA.

While slow the Horse and donkey units ere far more efficient in costings ~

KAIRI, QLD. 1943-08-19. N200530 DRIVER W. I. WALSH (LEFT) AND Q130357 DRIVER D. HAZLE, BOTH OF THE 2ND AUSTRALIAN PACK TRANSPORT COMPANY, CLEANING SADDLERY.

Young bloke looks very young ~ I checked him he is 20 then ~

[AT P Sweep]

Australia' Darkest Day ~ World War One ~

Battle of Fromelles | The Australian War Memorial

Five thousand five hundred wounded and Killed ~ 2000 KIA i ONE day ~ Battle of Fromelles

Remembering Those that served ~ in all conflicts ~ and in Peace ~to serve Australia. We thank you ~ for your service and your sacrifice ~

(Remembering all service men and Women Worldwide in all conflicts ~ )

~LEST WE FORGET~

"~They shall not grow as we that are left Grow Old !

[AT P Sweep]

Another Hunt ~ a few weeks or so back ~

Old ground ~

Early start~ and done by Midday ~

Amazing ~ Webbing material intact ~ after 77 years!

Shilling from Previous Hunt and some of the AMF buttons cleaned up ~

On the way home I dropped into see mate ~ he is a Australian registered cartridge collector lie myself and Rob wanted a hand to load a few fiftycalibre (spent 0 rounds ~ a whole new skill for me ~

Testing technique with Oil to clean Pennies ~Results impressive todate ~

Twenty Five Pdr. crews under Inspection Kairi 1944

[AT P Sweep]

Up 04:45 ~ dead calm and 20 Deg. calm ~

I was away by 06:10 ~ Mate Robert joined me ~

Another octagonal Sauce bottle ~ I liek to use these for bottling Home Brew Beer



1911 Sixpence King George V ~ ( Second year of Australian Silver coins ! Previously all coins were mostly produced in United Kingdom )







Kankiryo saddle, Finisterre range, New Guinea, 1944-02-15.

Members of "b" company, 57/60th infantry battalion moving up Kankiryo saddle along steps cut by the 2/9th battalion. "b" company is on the march to relieve the 2/9th infantry battalion at the Prothero features in the Finisterre range.

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[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #477

Decided to do some off the beaten track recce ~ the results were quite impressive ~

As the norm these days early start and on site around 06:30 -07:30 beating the Encroaching Summer Heat !

Very deceptive as the are appears as mostly Virgin ~ previously uncleared rain forest~

I walked into a small hot spot and spent over an hour cutting Lantana and digging holes.

This one was "Sun Baker " obscure donly bt leaf litter ~


Had to by pass two tree roots to get this one ~

I almost gave the reasonable signal a miss as I was hanging out for a Smoko and a cuppa Black Tea ~ But sure glad I did ~

Skirted out further a field and eventually retired the Mercury crept up ~ battling March Flies ~ but after finding a heavily obscured large concrete slab i decided to return ~

Cigarette pack cover came up nice ~

I even researched tailor made Cigarettes available to the Diggers !

TRINITY BEACH, QLD. 10th Dec 1944. TROOPS OF THE 2/ 5TH FIELD REGIMENT ABOARD THE LANDING SHIP, TANK (LST) 743 DURING THE ALLOCATION OF VEHICLES TO THEIR MARKED POSITIONS ABOARD THE DECK.

[Ubique]

Unusually high concentration of Officers buckles there Sweep? Lapel R/S could also be an officers cap badge?

[AT P Sweep]

Unusually high concentration of Officers buckles there Sweep? Lapel R/S could also be an officers cap badge?

Yes I agree ~ Four Officer's buckles in a concentrated area ~

I think it was a staging area which were bivoucaed and the regular Diggers passed thru ~ down the slope and then into a training area ~ beyond the creek bed some 8 12 meters away ~

Then to add substance ~I found that the opposing creek "wall" was riddled with .38 revolver projectiles ~ which would suggest these said Officers were target practicing with their Webblys~ (??)

[Ubique]

I wonder if alcohol was involved?

[lithgow]

Our army generally used the Smith & Wesson Victory revolver, especially in the 2nd half of the war-lighter and better balanced than the Webley Mk IV or similar Enfield revolvers in .38/200-they stayed in service (though rarely actually used) until the 1960s when the Browning Hi Power 9mm automatic fully replaced them. Note the 'D Broad Arrow D' property mark on this one.