Wow.. Plenty of recent UK Airfield finds.

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi SteveT..
Thanks for your reply.. The steel 20mm casing is so rusted that the bottom edge has rusted away leaving only the centre section and thats why it looks smaller than the body. Sadly time and the natural world have modified it. But it's exactly the same as the live one that was reburied. I took the pic on the glove to give an idea of scale. In the past I found plenty of the German 20mm relic cartridges in Normandy and the Ardennes but their cartridge bodies were always longer than this one. To me it seems short, I've not seen one like that before. Perhaps its German just because its steel, allied cases were usually brass.
The bangle item is a rubber gasket unfortunately it has no markings but I'll take some pics tom and post. The heavy iron thingy was amongst the dated pottery shards so is contemporary to the War but not sure of use?. Initially I thought perhaps a link from a tracked vehicle but then thought perhaps its the top of a step because it seems shaped for grip. Sadly its quite rusted but someone may be able to help.
Finally pic 10 it's definately a peice of aircraft skin and being an unusual shape it should in theory be possible to identify but checking through the umpteen recorded types of aircraft that used the field would be too time consuming. But I'll always look out when ever I visit an aviation museum or see photo's.
I'll get the pics posted tomorrow.
Cheers
LUCKYSTRIKE

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Ade.. Thanks for that it makes sense. Being an airfield perhaps it was for a vehicle like an earth mover or roller used during its construction?
LUCKYSTRIKE

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Steve.. Here are the pic's as requested, I've also stuck on a couple of a lid that seems to have a locking band and been water tight, the remaining paint seems to be very thin tar?
LUCKYSTRIKE

[Steve T]

Yep....the first item is exactly the same as the item I found but discarded on site as I thought it was trash. Looks like some sort of cross-support but, the reason I discarded it was I couldn't think of anything it would be used for (from a weight perspective) in an aircraft. Now I look at it again maybe it was a part of an engine itself....hmmmmm.

The rubber gasket.......could it be off a drop tank ?

Curiously I have also found one of the items shown on the bottom but also discarded it on site as crap !!!!!!

When I get re-incarnated I am gonna pick an easier hobby

Thanks mate

Steve T

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Steve.. Probably no big loss this time perhaps but it can be a hard lesson to learn, so its always best to take it home if safe, clean it and try to identify it.. Sadly I still haven't learnt!!!!
Over the years Ive found items and discarded them only to realise at a later date what they were.
Worst examples for me are... I found one of those German MG ammo link machines with out a handle in Normandy I even brought it home cleaned it up kept it for a couple of years but couldn't decide what it was. I even showed it to people at a military show sadly no joy best guess they came up with was door lock. So having a clear out one day it went in the bin, then a month or so later I saw one and it became obvious. (see pick below of one in museum eekkkk)
Even last year in Normandy I found a heavy curved peice of metal attached to a broken peice of sheet bakelite/plastic with a hole in centre and straight edges outside? I didn't recognise it at the time. It was heavy and it was raining so I stuck it in my jacket pocket. Then pushing through the woods it fell out.. oh well no worries I thought.
Next day I visited a museum and found one on display I'd found the corner (1 magnet foot) of a German anti tank magnetic mine the type pictured. Next day I went back, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack no joy. So I live and learn argh!!!!
LUCKYSTRIKE

[ian_]

Impressive selection of finds there! I think the 'grease gun' in amongst the tools is a hand pump off an aircraft. I have a similar one from a Mustang to pump down the wheels in an emergency. Are there any part numbers cast or stamped to help identify it?

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Ian, Thats a thrilling identification I'm excited about that one. It makes sense though because as you can probably see in the picture both the inlet and outlet (tip) of the grease gun/hand pump are threaded to take some sort of pipe so perhaps a hydrolic pipe? Sadly I checked it all over and could not find any stamping or cast numbers, but it doesn't appear to be complete so perhaps if it had a number it went with the missing part. But I'll give it a check over again just to be sure.
Would it be possibly for you to post a pic of your pump to compare, I'm sure other forum members would enjoy seeing it as much as me.
Thanks again.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[Steve T]

Well we all do it don't we Out relic hunting, find a big hunk of something that looks like it is probably a bit of farming machinery, don't bother taking it back because it weighs too much or is too awkward to carry.......

Worst example I have is the day I found the Merlin exhaust stubs I also found a strange metallic object. Not knowing anything about engines, I decided it was a bit of farming machinery crap (although strangely uncorroded given it was in the ground), and chucked it in some bushes. A few weeks later, whilst looking for info on my stubs, I came across a picture of something that made me really cross. What I had found and thrown away was a Merlin engine piston rod !!!!!

SpitfireSpares.com - warbird PowerPlant

(near the bottom of the page)

Still, I thought, I know exactly where I dumped it because I was between two clearly defined areas. I go back to the site and could I find it ? Of course I bloody couldn't !!!

Interesting to also note on that link above, the guy has a knackered out old exhaust stub in bloody AWFUL condition for sale for £45. Imagine how much mine must be worth !!!

I am now like you. I take everything home with me regardless of shape, size or condition, just in case. You will note in many of my posts the 'before cleaning' picture shows alot more items than the 'after cleaning', purely because I have chucked stuff that turns out to be modern crap once I have cleaned it and can see the item more clearly.

Steve T

[ian_]

Here you go Steve. I think there were different versions of this fitted to Mustangs as well. Mine's from an Allison engined RAF aircraft. Yours could be from a later mark or P47. Probably not glider (no hydraulics) or bomber (too small) I'll look through pictures. Very right about keeping everything. I found a bell at a B17 site. Asked a very knowledgable local who'd dug many many US bombers who said it was bicycle. Trusted him, threw it away. You can imagine the rest...

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Steve.. Your exhaust stubs have a history and we know they were used, been there and done that!. This adds to their value, you found them behind the dispersal point where they were discarded and one even has a period field repair for quick aircraft turn around. The ones often seen for sale, have no history and could even be post war and saw no action. I'm sure if you ebayed yours individually with the find history (ps I know you wouldn't) but you'd get £100+ each for them easy.
I'm sorry to hear about the piston rod, blame the Gremlins (they're stuck to the area but theres no planes to play with now)they moved it!! The mind has the strange habit of forgetting the exact detail of where you left it, at least mine does. But it'll be there somewhere so when ever you're in the area give it a little search a bit at a time, more of the bushes, behind them to their side even in the branches it could be hung up. It'll be there you'll get it back.
Good Luck.

Hi Ian.... thanks for posting the pic that's a lovely peice you've got so many marks. But the basic design of mine appears identical so I'm certain you're right about its use. If you have pictures of others and are able to look them up I'd really appreciate that, thanks for identifying it so far. For reference both the P51D (Mustang) and P47 did fly from the airfield!!.
Sorry to ask because its probably a soar point but what was the bell that you discarded?.

To make us all feel better...Ask anyone who recovers items in situ and they'll all have a similar story of the one that got away, hopefully we can take a little comfort from that and Steve we're looking forward to the post when you show us you've finally bagged the rod.
LUCKYSTRIKE