Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

**MAP** · 12-30-2019, 05:15 AM

Very nice. A great way to end the year.

**AT P Sweep** · 01-05-2020, 01:54 PM

Fossick #486

The research Recce Plus~

Forecast for Saturday ~ extensive wide spread ~Thunder storms and Showers for the Tablemats and Tinaroo~ by Midday ~

Set alarm for 06:30 ~ as usual/ Typically woke before the alarm ~ BUT 04:30~ Crap!!

So up very early and away with the Sparrows. Drizzling rain~ but cleared ~ A good East to SE breeze kept temps tolerable and i worked the bush areas of the camp site ~

I was going to expand the Hunt but felt it was more prudent to head back to base camp ~ as a solitary storm dumped heavy rain right where I wanted to go ~ I managed to circumnavigate the storm and was packed up just as a thunder storm and heavy down pour arrived to drown out the party ~

A good day with some rewards ~

Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

The base plate fits the upper case perfectly ~ an good find off cut case and both parts to match

WILD RIVER, FAR NORTH QLD. 12th July 1944. A 6 POUNDER TANK ATTACK GUN MANNED BY 2_3 TANK ATTACK REGIMENT TROOPS in training ~

**lithgow** · 01-05-2020, 03:14 PM

As I've noted before, my old Dad was in 2/3 A/T Regt 1940-46-was the 100th anniversary of his birth last year. Unit shoulder flashes for the regt post 1943 'T' shape for service at Tobruk and ID disc (compressed paper).

**AT P Sweep** · 01-09-2020, 04:21 AM

Well~ Was very undecided today as to whether even head out ~ I actually parked the ASX backed up to the boat trailer but did not even hook it up~

I got up at 07:15

Talked to Robert as he rang us four times yesterday to contact us and we had the phones unplugged ! LOL

The forecast s grim for the Next three days so I bit down and set off

So I decided and headed off ~by the time I geared up it was 09:00~

Perfect day ~Tuesday ~ in the Breeze ~ Top 29 Deg.

Started at the Dump~ but it is pretty well Done~ I think

But planned to go after the large Hook for Robert~ and worked the fresh Burnt area and the actual camp site with some luck ~

I crossed deep V section creek bed coming out the Camp site (possibly even put in by WWII period engineers for drainage which is not uncommon practice of the day! )

I noted several very old aluminium cans ~ ( campers at some point I guess) ~ and then a loud signal typical of cans ~

I almost walked away expected to find more trash ~ BUT ~ Guess what ~

Long story short ~

I dug a AMF button in nice shape with Split pin intact ~ a AUST shoulder flash ~ A Slouch hat strap buckle and a Silver coins!

I worked through the Burnt areas extensively ~ with little Joy ~

I returned the Car for Smoko and headed off again to the SW essentially circumnavigating the area ~again with little success ~

The Midday I moved to an old well worked site ~ as the Nox has been delivering there every time ~

Some one had been there ~ I cannot believe ~ I am still pulling HEAPS of stuff including Silver out this Site ~

The ring is a Man wedding ring and ~ No markings though ~ I am assuming a Digger lost during the war period loss.

Another of the same Letter Openers ~ AMF Button with split pin excellent condition! ~

The top silver is another MaCallum's Whiskey Cork very ornate cap,

AND another German Wehrmacht Button (?)

The ONLY thing out of the Rubbish Dump is the round brass Nothingness at the tip of the 303 round!! Everything else was found in the Camp sites ~

Clean up plus some ~

I also found very close to this area a track which was used for training of this very type ~ and the track which extends to the top of the Hill near by also has a Gun pit/ position at the top !

This training paid off when the Guns and crews were taken the Northern offensive areas ~ this mean that the Australians had effective and relatively rapid high levels of Artillery fire capabilities right at the front where it was needed `

5,067

**AT P Sweep** · 01-10-2020, 02:12 AM

The Letter Opener is identical another I found several weeks back ~

Obviously a commercially made item and likely Souvenir ~ possibly form Egyptian / Cairo ~ even Palestine or Beirut markets where the Diggers have purchased them (?)

As the Australians served in al these theartres of WWII and even WWI.

A street scene in the Egyptian capital, where Australian troops spent their leave while training.

Two soldiers on horse back in front of Egyptian pyramids.

The man on the left is identified as Lieutenant Shirley Thomas William Goodwin DSO, 1st Division Artillery.

The inscription on the back of the photograph read 'STWG in World War One-Egypt'.

The name of the photographer, 'George M Georgoulas pyramids, Cairo' is stamped next to the inscription. From Ballarat, Victoria, Goodwin also served in the Second World War as a Brigadier with the Royal Australian Artillery, AIF HQ, 9th Division.

He was killed in action on 25 October 1943 and buried at Finschafen War Cemetery.

Tribute was paid to him by General Douglas MacArthur, who described him as 'an exceptional officer' and stated 'his death is a severe loss which will be mourned by Americans equally with Australian'.

**BlackCat1982** · 01-10-2020, 02:32 PM

Can't see a German button ATP, but one metal , four holed button as used on 1937 pattern batteldress. Is that the one? They are usually well marked though.