Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

[AT P Sweep]

But I am frustrated as to the purpose of the attached ~

Intriguing having found <six> in the area is curious ~ the shorter ones have been manually cut as the cuts are not straight and one is really rough !

The last one found has no holes ~ and has a HR symbol on the end ~ the back of the R formed against the H (??)

The "worm tube" is ~ 60.50 mm long * 16.4 mm wide ~ the rear end has a rim and is filled ~ Cordite? As it is audible when shaken!

I feel it is a firing cartridge or detonator of some sort ??

And is of no relationship to the other pieces ~ All are brass ~ the lower three are all the same diameter despite the illusion ~ Al three are hollow despite the end plug on the longer one ~

[AT P Sweep]

NOW ~ Just maybe I have worked it out myself

I THINK these puppies are in fact Primer flash cartridges ~ that is a tube which evenly distributes ignition to the main base charge in aan artillery shell !

Maybe

I have found several 'ink drawings' of WWII shells and they clearly show a tube at the base with holes ~ these obviously are designed to distribute the ignition flame !

[Steve T]

Your safety cap (the thing with 3 arms), looks to be for 2lber shell. The two caps in the last two pictures........the one with the knurled edge looks suspiciously like the cap off a Lee-Enfield oil bottle. Your other one is a primer for a larger calibre shell, hence the percussion cap. Judging from the size, I would suggest a 40mm or similar.

[AT P Sweep]

I have done some more research into the Primer flash tubes.


While I have not definitely identified what shell they came from this will give a greater insight into what I am talking about ~

And I cannot say for sure if the shorter two have been cut down or simply shorter versions (?)

Ref ; http://www.milvet.state.pa.us/DMVA/D...appendix_l.pdf

Ordnance QF 25-pounder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After all 25 pounder units were relatively common around here in WWII ~

25 Pounder guns firing, 8th Army, colour footage - YouTube

Additionally the cutaway in the left of the photo is from a 25 lber shell ~

[AT P Sweep]

Saturday ~ What difference a day makes ~

Superb day on the FNQ Tablelands ~

Headed out around 11.00 and on site around 11.45 ~ I had decided to do a day of water hunting. So geared up and headed off.

But success did not come too easily and pickings it seemed out 'Fun Park FNQ' were very slim and only two separate 1943 1/2 pennies surfaced! I was getting very frustrated ! But persevered before moving further on to the opposite end of the "Park"'

After some 1 1/2 hours I waded in where we felt there was a workshop of sorts ~ and sure enough there were bountiful targets ~ but lots of iron echo with them ~ until I pulled a 1943 three pence ~

Pushing on I pulled heaps of misc and curiosities ~

But then I hit the jackpot ~ I pulled a USA forces service button ~ Well for us this is a big deal as there no registered US Forces camps in these parts ~ ( at first I was puzzled abou the presence of a US forces item? )

I broke for a smoko ~ before deciding to press on and move back the Grassy knoll ~

(The famous Grassy Knoll ~ which has given so much !!)

But I suddenly found the area around the US relic was alive with targets and an obvious tent site ~ coins and misc items kept jumping up ! All in water up to hip depth!

So it was around 16.30 before I made the car and headed off ~

But what started out a very flat day came alive in true form !

Strange ?? Even with the 'D' logo alone (?)

BUT ~ Of course ~ Macarthur was the El Supremo, and along with his entourage ~ represented a USA Forces presence ~ And of course there would bound to be some items lost~

( Aust War memorial)

Australian Troops on Atherton tablelands. MacArthur visits the Australian 9th Division in training,Queensland,July 1943. LtGen Morshead also second from the left.

( Ohh ~ LOOK ~ There is that Bren Gun !! Where the heck did he dump that thing !?? > : )

[AT P Sweep]

Put in a mid week Fossick at my Fun Park ~ again in Water World ~

(Last Saturday I was "attacked" by Duck lice and my rear end is "riddled " with welts ~ )

So this time I was intent on wearing the yellow plastic pants ~ but it was just too hot so I ditched them .. wiped my lower section and shorts with Rid and vowed to not go lower in the water than my crotch ! Seems the hairy legs deter the lice ??)

As the water has dropped another <1/2 metre> this was no problem ~ although several targets I had to reach with my pick and drag into shallow water ~

I spent some 2 1/2 hours hunting ~ all in the water ~ and picked some good scores yet again ~

Around 15.30 a storm threatened to close in ~ so I bolted for the shed ~

But some great scores ~ I really had to dig for the spoon ~ and in fact got so frustrated with it as I had no idea and started scrounging by hand before I found the unseen handle and still had no idea what I was digging out of the stoney clay bottom, until I pulled it free !

But a great 2 1/2 hours ~

Got to be happy ~

Sixpence King George V 1926 – nice

Penny King George V 1934

2 * 1/2 pennies King George VI 1943 ~ those 1943 coins are dominant ~

Both shoulder badges found close to each other and as were the coins !

2 * ACMF tunic buttons

All targets under water ~

The "workshop site" is filled with mixed targets and this is where I found several silvers last Saturday .. so it is areal lottery as to which targets to dig ~

[AT P Sweep]

Decided at 12.00 midday I would head out ~ perfect day ~

On site around 13.00 ~ decided to wander over one of my favorite well flogged sites and blow me if it did not start producing ~

Note smashed beer bottle ( in true Aussie style) on the left !

Amongst the known trash and detritus a few webbing buckle s started to pop up .. I was hooked ~ But decided I wanted to try out the new modified poop scoop ~ and headed off to the water ~

Started out very slow and heaps of trash. In fact considered going back to the dry land stuff ~ but then a few coins appeared ~

Then i spotted three star pickets which essentially yelled .. Tent site right this way !

And it was on ! Then I scored my first ring ~ ( once cleaned up it looks like trench art. But it is not bent and fits my left hand pinky finger perfectly ~

Then I scored a brilliant Rising Sun ~ even has the enamel in place! I mean this puppy has been under Sun ~ mud..water for over 70 years ~ Woww!!

It may well have even been in combat in North Africa and travelled the World ~ even been over he Kokoda track and back before falling foul on home territory ~ !!

As aid I ran out of time ~ But a good run yet again ~

1940 Six pence
1944 Penny
2nd penny unknown as yet
(Top right ) brass nut ??
AUST CMF button
Razor base plate – nice

This piece found on the Grassy Knoll is intriguing ~ it had a small cylinder attached to the opposite or top side ~ which broke off ~ it has cotton pad inside ~ ???

Any Help appreciated ~

[Time Bandit]

This piece found on the Grassy Knoll is intriguing ~ it had a small cylinder attached to the opposite or top side ~ which broke off ~ it has cotton pad inside ~ ???

Any Help appreciated ~

Fag lighter...? Cylinder for the fuel, with the cotton inside to soak it up (like a Zippo etc) and the bit attached to it would contain the flint/striker mechanism etc?

[AT P Sweep]

Thanks Mike ~

Kind of obvious when one thinks about it eh

Cheers

SS

BTW: Nice collection you have there ~

I am still looking for a Bren Gun or an Own SMG around here ~ must be one lurking around here ~ some-where! ~ LOL

[AT P Sweep]

Well I headed out again after that fantastic Rising Sun ~ Spent <2 1/2 hrs> before calling it a day ~

But I had to dig to China to retrieve the named plate ~ it appears to be copper and has what I assume is a identity stamp.

But a great shorter fossick / sweep !

[/URL]

C. Field H

1940

World War Two Nominal Roll

Maybe ~ BUT ~ he enlisted in 1941 and the case has 1940 stamped below and to the right. Unless of course the case was a standard issue and dated 1940! (?)

Service Record

Name FIELD, CLAUDE HARWOOD

Service Australian Army

Service Number N274779

Date of Birth 25 Sep 1896

Place of Birth WATFORD, ENGLAND

Date of Enlistment 5 Aug 1941

Locality on Enlistment BEGA, NSW

Place of Enlistment PADDINGTON, NSW

Next of Kin FIELD, ELSIE

Date of Discharge 5 Sep 1946

Rank Captain

Posting at Discharge 2 MIL DIST RECRUITING STAFF

WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display