RRPG big dig weekend - Day 2 - British army dump

[m3bobby]

No worries Rick, I've been a couple of the digs but I've missed the last few due to weather and the last one down to being 460 miles away now. If you've anything you cant identify just post up a photo.

Whilst I'm on, has anyone got a good link to someone selling .303 Browning belt links?

[Steve T]

I know someone who has another 4 Vickers 250rnd cloth belts, (without the brass ribs), for £15 each. That any good ?

I also have a cloth 250rnd Browning .30cal belt that needs a good home. Fancy swopsies ?

[m3bobby]

Thanks Steve but the 303 Browning has special .303 links, similar to the metalic links of the .30 cal, I have found one place but they state '.303 Browning machine gun WW2 style disintegrating links'. When they say 'style', it suggests to me that they are .30 cal links.

[Steve T]

I've tried finding those before M3......rarer than hen's teeth......

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Here are my finds. Due to a long days digging in the Sun on Saturday, this dig only lasted a few hours. But I still bagged a fair amount.

Unwashed straight from the finds bag.
Various weapon cleaning brushes & pull throughs, Lee enfield bakelite oil bottle, Lee Enfield end, Sten bits, Butt Plates, Bayonet handle, Vickers MG tripod stand handle?, Gas mask eye pieces etc etc



Uncleaned Browning 30 cal MG ammo starter tabs, Sten MK5 stock parts, the wood was burnt away when they were dumped, unusually a cake (Officers) serving spoon!! etc etc.



Interesting the spoons marked on the back Coronation 1937 with image of the Monach Edward V111?



Uncleaned but an interesting ammo box, dimensions shown. I'd love to know what it is?





Marked on the base T & L Co II 1942, through the rust hole I can even see the remains of a webbing strap.



A very good condition (under the surface rust) Armoured vehicle Vickers MG (spent) ammo shoot. I like the different layers of paint with the top coat being white, vehicle interior colouring.



You can see the cut off corner shape for holding the Vickers ammo box.



Now for a few items I have cleaned.



MG oil can, you can still make out the light blue painted label.



1943 Water can, you can see the WD arrow and also faint remains of WATER painted across the front in white.



Painted light blue grey I wonder if this 1944 dated water can was originally RAF?



and finally a US 30 Cal ammo box, still showing much of the original paint.



For only a few hours easy digging not a bad haul this site always seems to produce interesting finds.
All the Best.
LUCKYSTRIKE.

[Steve T]

Nice finds LS. The Vicker's 'stand' part.....I think you meant Vicker's tripod ! Picture below.......holds the weapon to the tripod.

[Steve T]

You also have a Bren 100 rnd magazine adapter. The bracket thing in the middle of your sten parts. You can see what it should look like in this link, half way down the page.

Bren Tripod References - Sixth Army Group

One last thing, your pull-throughs aren't......they are barrel brushes, not pull throughs Semantics I know but someone else will only pick you up on it !

[Blackpowder44]

The water can you show is a Canadian one. Note the top is below the surrounding sides and you can see the C surrounding the maple leaf. On all ford of Canada brencarriers there is a water can such as yours and on the opposite side there is one for oil, therefor your can could have once belonged to a carrier. John.

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hello John,
Thanks for your reply, thats excellent news thanks for spoting the water cans are Canadian and could have come from Bren carriers that's awesome. This site is very international with finds but I'm pretty sure these must be some of the first positive ID's for Canadian relics from here .
All the Best.
LS

[tiffy]

Hi Steve T
The small brass capped tube looks a bit like the Fuze D.A. & Precussion No 462 Mk1 PIAT fuze storage tube, is it possible to try a det for fit, the tube looks big enough? It should have signs of a pair of tabs soldered to it.
Hope this helps?
Tiffy