WW2 RAF Lancaster base - Dump discovered - Finds keep coming

[Steve T]

Superb news about the meshing. Great stuff !

Have cleaned a lot of my stuff and will post later.

Cheers

Steve T

[Steve T]

Ok guys, here are about two thirds of my finds. These are the ones I have so far managed to clean but there are plenty more to come.

I have to say the site is very exciting with finds on the surface, in bramble bushes, an inch beneath the surface, 12 inches beneath the surface........EVERYWHERE !

I was fairly choosy with what I took home, but even so I had a large rucksack full of stuff.

Anyway, onto the finds. I'll start with the glassware and other odds and ends, then post another reply with the surface finds I mentioned in an earlier thread.

Here are all the bottles, jars and crockery that I took home with me.



A close up of these four, which I find very exciting, purely because they say something about how people lived on the base. Even back then, Marmite and Bovril were staples !



The men also treated themselves when ill, as exemplified by these two. The one at the bottom is 'Owbridges Lung Tonic'. As a pharmacist, it intrigues me as to what on earth was in it !



Didn't find any complete crockery I'm afraid, but these are nicely marked.



And, if only I could find a larger piece than this, marked in the same way. Wonderful piece all the same.



And just to show that Women played an important role on the base, and must have been quartered there. Lots of nail varnish bottles and perfume bottles, (the two far right), and some 'Amami Setting Lotion'.....a product you can still get !



Now onto the next batch of finds.

These are kind of odds and ends, but within this group are items showing that this was an active military base.

Note the Brylcream tube which, when unravelled, proved to be in remarkable condition !



The remains of a 303, a 50cal that at first glance appeared unfired but proved to be completely empty and quite badly damaged. Also 3 nice flare gun cartridges, one of which had some 'spade' damage, (dammit ! I must be more careful !)



The only bit of cutlery that was found on the day. A 1942 WD marked fork



These I find strange. They feel like they are made from some sort of ceramic and looked to have some sort of 'electrical' purpose. Anyone any idea what they are ?



This is a close up of the small metal ring shown in the main picture. It has a code on it.



Here is the item already ID'd by Paul B (thanks mate....more for your expertise in the next reply !!!!). The bulb holder for a Glim Lamp.



And lastly, some more personal items. Toothbrushes ! As for the item on the left.....no idea I'm afraid !



More to follow in the next reply. LOTS of Air Ministry codes to track down !!!

More...........

Steve T

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Here is my next batch of cleaned finds.

My stash of bomb pistols.



A like this YMCA marked mug, it must have been stolen during the war from the Grindley Hotel in Ware Dorset



The remains of a power unit, any ideas what it would have powered?





This valve was found with the piece of tubing, can you confirm this would have been for oxygen supply?



A switch, Im assuming it's from communication equipment?



I have no idea what this item is, but it has an identity plate so hopefully someone can help.





This dump is full of pottery sherds, I only kept a few that were different. The first is nicely marked 1944 bone china the other piece is marked for the Royal Navy? The alloy disc has a large calibre bullet hole like .50 cal through it.



The last picture is a cable plug.

Thank you for any help.

LUCKYSTRIKE

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Oops I was ahead of myself, picture shows a cigarette box and not the bullet holed disc which will follow.

LUCKYSTRIKE

[Steve T]

Ok, this was the most exciting batch of finds from the day.

I decided to have a scout around in the middle of the bramble bushes, following on from something LS said during the day. It proved to be well worthwhile.

On the surface was a pile of stuff, all of which seemed to somehow 'belong' together. I got the impression an instrument of some kind, (radar or radio set perhaps), had been smashed apart and left here. 65 years later and I duly stumble across it.

A number of the items carry codes, many of which are 'AM' codes. Any help identifying them would be greatly appreciated.

Firstly some pieces of airframe, one of which, to my great surprise, appears to have a 'US' stamp on the back and the remains of paintwork on the front.



Here is a close up of the back showing the stamp, and the front, showing the paint.



I found a few of these. I am sure I've seen pictures of them before but can't think where. Are they electrical connectors of some sort ? They are big chunky items, about 3 inches across and quite heavy.



A couple of them even have date stamps on them....Feb 1944 and Sep 1944.




And here's a close up of the pipe. This too is marked with 'FLOW' and a code. Oxygen tubing ? Fuel line to an engine ?



Ok, now onto the more intricate stuff.

First of all a group shot of the items that were on the surface in the middle of the bush, (along with those shown above).



A close up of the remains of what appear to be control panels of some description. No markings on either I'm afraid to say.



Now for the individual items. Pay attention here as many of them are AM marked with clear codes. Please help if you can !

First up a lot of bulb holders



A couple of pieces of armiture (I thinks that's what they are called....physics was never my strong point !) and an item that would best be described as a bell, but made from something like Bakelite.



Various pieces, the top left items being highly machined.



A piece of one, and a complete 'other', the complete one being nicely marked.



Various bits of electrical gear, vales and fuse holders.



Another larger fuse holder and a strange brass 'slider'. Cockpit canopy slider perhaps ?



The item at the top has wooden pegs and 'nuts'. The item at the bottom I thought was bakelite but, when cleaned, it was actually transparent.



Close up of the code on the transparent item.



What appears to be a standard 3 pin socket and a multi pronged electrical connector.



More odd items, the middle two of which are nicely marked.



Close up of the markings



These are made from a very light alloy, or possibly just plain aluminium. Both have marks on them and appear to be 'stands' of some description, possibly for a fragile valve ?



The internal workings of a dial



Now onto the marked items.

Two electrical connectors, both Air Ministry marked.



This is my best find of the day. Didn't appear much when it was first found, but after cleaning it I was amazed to find a graduated dial, nice marked turner and even paint on two parts of it.



Close up of the dial and the painted portions. If anyone can ID this I would be over the moon !!



Two more electrical connectors, again Air ministry marked.



Another item with two 'push buttons' at the bottom. Nice Air Ministry mark on this as well.



Another dial. Not marked but a really nice find none-the-less



And lastly a real surprise.

The markings on this item didn't appear until after it had been cleaned. It didn't look much before hand and when I found it in the pile, (in the bramble bush), I was in two minds whether to take it or not. Glad I did !!! The markings read, from top to bottom, OFF, A, B, C, D, T REM, and then something else, possibly an R although not too sure




If you can help please post !

In fact, post anyway and let me know what you think of the finds I've cleaned so far

Steve T

[ian_]

Nice selection! pic 19 is a radio push button control. The link shows it top left in a Spitfire cockpit but was used on lots of other things to. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_controls.jpg
Picture 12 are bomb steadies off a small bomb rack, used on the likes of Battles, Lysanders possibly carried inside bigger aircraft . Will try and find pics.
Here you go:

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Hi...Sqn-Pandit.jpg

[Steve T]

ian_ - Great stuff ! Many thanks for the ID on the radio control. That's superb ! Also good news on the little aluminium thingies. Strange that they were found in amongst the 'radio' parts on the surface.

Steve T

[ian_]

No problem, I like a challenge! The clear bit in photo 8 is from the top of a battery/ accumulator. Don't know what it does though.

[Steve T]

Hmmmm....thought it maybe something like that.

You don't know what those five metal 'caps' are in the third picture do you ? Found them with all the rest of the electric bits in a little pile.

What did you think to the bottles and the Glim lamp piece ?

Steve T

[ian_]

Not sure about the round bits. The specific date and lot number rather than part number make me think of explosives or something else with a shelf life. The graduated dial is radio, I've found the same knob at a Fairy Battle site. Can't get too excited about bottles, scrap metal for me everytime!