Huge Piece of WW1 Shrapnel.

**Falschirmjager** · 10-26-2010, 10:00 PM

Another eBay buy here! This is a very large piece of shrapnel most likely from a British 15-inch (381-mm) Howitzer shell. It measures 30 inches in length and is 10 inches wide at widest point. It was found near Montauban which formed part of the front line at the start of the Somme offensive of 1st July 1916.Its scary to think of the damage such a thing could do against soldiers caught out in the open. Regards, Tim.

**gerrit** · 10-26-2010, 10:13 PM

I have found these pieces a lot on the Verdun front.
They could easily rip you in two, i found the top of a skull, ( whats under the helmet) it was a very clean cut.......most had been one of those....

**Falschirmjager** · 10-26-2010, 10:17 PM

by gerrit

I have found these pieces a lot on the Verdun front.
They could easily rip you in two, i found the top of a skull, ( whats under the helmet) it was a very clean cut.......most had been one of those....

Very very nasty and i wouldnt fancy being on the receiving end of one of those!

**Whitehunter** · 10-27-2010, 10:12 PM

That's a cool relic, last year i dug a nice big peice of shrapnel up with lines on it i put it away and got it out a while back. i picked it up and it crumbled to dust

I should have sprayed it with some protective treatment

Cheers

John

**Falschirmjager** · 10-28-2010, 12:09 AM

by Whitehunter

That's a cool relic, last year i dug a nice big peice of shrapnel up with lines on it i put it away and got it out a while back. i picked it up and it crumbled to dust

I should have sprayed it with some protective treatment

Cheers

John

Hi John, Had that piece you found been anywhere near salt water?? Every lump ive had has been that solid you could hit em with a hammer and have had no probs. Anything metal thats been near salt water usually rusts right through and no amount of work seems to stop it. I intend cleaning the big piece i have up a bit and its in great condition with just surface rust which will wire brush off easily. Regards, Tim.

**Whitehunter** · 10-28-2010, 10:32 PM

Hello, the piece i found was in the ground, i know what you mean about stuff from the sea it just falls apart if you don't look after it. we used to use a trick for small cannon balls put them in the back of our toliet. leave it in there for several months and you have a salt water free cannon ball

**Inf Div 121** · 10-30-2010, 11:59 AM

by Whitehunter

Hello, the piece i found was in the ground, i know what you mean about stuff from the sea it just falls apart if you don't look after it. we used to use a trick for small cannon balls put them in the back of our toliet. leave it in there for several months and you have a salt water free cannon ball

Great technology!

**Falschirmjager** · 11-13-2010, 01:18 PM

by Inf Div 121

Great technology!

Right, heres that big lump of shrapnel which was found near Montauban-Picardie, France on what was the British frontline at the start of the Battle of the Somme in 1916-after i cleaned it up. All i did was wire brush it down to get rid of any lose orangey surface rust and then coat it with a metal preservative. I made a mistake with the dimensions of this piece-its actually 4 inches wide at widest point and 20 inches in length and weighs 8lbs. Notice the remains of the fuze thread in the one photograph. This may be 94 years old but is still very sharp and can imagine that a piece of steel like this coming at you at around 500fps would really be quite an horrific experience and if it hit you well i think we all know the answer to that one. Regards, Tim.