Pre D Day battleground Training Area.

**davejb** · 10-25-2011, 11:33 PM

The ones i remember were a bit like a large firework going off and then dying out after about a minute or so, but you couldnt get near them unless you wanted a hospital visit, there were a lot of white hot sparks but they were planted a reasonable distance from where you were

**davejb** · 10-25-2011, 11:41 PM

Lucky, if you google British trip flares theres a wikipedia photo of one igniting, you can see the effects and also i believe it may be one like yours

**WW2Hunter** · 10-26-2011, 09:17 AM

Hey LS,
Nice one with the bazooka practice round and Steve for the ID.
On page one of your thread you posted a picture of a un-IDed relic.
I think this might be a part of the bazooka round lower body.
60MM diameter and the overal shape resembles to the prac round in your last picture.

Cheers,
Steven

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 10-26-2011, 10:54 AM

Hi Steven,
You're right about the unidentified body it is the lower body from the Bazooka well spotted, I was also informed of this by Spotter. I'll take a picture of them reunited (although they were found at different areas with in the site), now I have to find the front section

.
Thanks Dave and Steven, I've found a nice link to British Flares on Youtube An unofficial Army excercise they call a Flare marathon

these are probably later models but give a good insight into what they're like when triggered.
Trip Flare Marathon - YouTube

LS

**GasMasksUK** · 10-26-2011, 01:22 PM

These finds are getting better and better

I really like the the trip flares, I've seen a few old Mk2 ones still stuck in the ground on the pickets on a training area so I think they're either still using them along with the smaller ones with the plastic bottom and aluminium top, or they've just been stuck in the ground for many years

Thanks

Danny

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 10-27-2011, 01:48 PM

Thanks Danny, Next time you're out and see one of the flares have a look on the bottom because they're usually well marked and dated, but saying that I dont know how long they may have been in stores before being issued. As an example during the Falklands war (1982) some of the rations, I believe the 'tack' biscuits issued to our troops were actually made and packed during WW2

I got this straight from the mouth of a veteran.

Here is a picture of the relic Bazooka pieces reunited, now just need to find a front cone

.

LUCKYSTRIKE

**dangermouse** · 10-27-2011, 05:25 PM

That Bazooka round looks amazing. What a difference that cone piece makes to it. Excellent find. Very jealous.

Mouse

**Whitehunter** · 10-27-2011, 05:50 PM

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 10-27-2011, 06:09 PM

Thanks DM it certainly looks better now.

WH I love the link, now that's a find and a half I can only dream of finding something like that and what great condition it is.
'But its not fair!' a bloke with no head can still see and find more than me.

LS

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 10-28-2011, 06:34 PM

I've cleaned a few more of my finds recently.

Here is another practice Bazooka rod counter balance weight, its still possible to see on the end a little of the thread that screwed into the fuze setting.

Originally I wasn't going to post this being yet another 3 inch fin but as you can see in the second picture it seems to have a very thin sprung brass type cover above the propellant charge head that is still there below. Not sure of its use unless it was to protect the propellant charge, but if it was then why was it fired with it in place?

The battle ground site I'm visiting is quite a small area and because of this I was under the impression was only used for testing infantry small arms weapons up to the 3inch and 81mm Mortars. But this piece of shrapnel is from either an artillery shell or perhaps even one of those big aerial bombs that created the large craters at the start of this thread.

These were found in an area of very black ashy soil where there'd obviously been a fire in the past. They were both quite close to each other. Pulling them out I immediately thought they were some sort of ammo box handles. But after a lot of research I've discovered they are..........

..... the handle buckles and strengthing brace for the card board ammo transport tubes. This format was used for carrying the British 2 inch and 3 inch mortars and also Piat rounds. Below shows a Piat carry case with the handle brace marked and a close up.

My attempt at computer graphics

A common find when searching, small buckles!!!, Ive put this up for reference this shows the bottom section is slightly bigger than the upper.

Been trying to find a match on this sadly flattened nose cone, its quite small so thought it was perhaps off some sort of small mortar perhaps a 2 inch but could find nothing close. So out of desperation even though I thought it was too small I tried comparing it with the practice Bazooka round (posted previously) and guess what.......
.............. it seems to fit

.
As best as I can see, it's not only the same circumference but when held in place it has just enough room to accomodate the balance weight rod sticking out of the body.
I'll post pics of it all together tomorrow to see what you think