Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

[vegetius]

Shell case backing plate? Not sure what that is. It looks like a base plate from a smoke base ejection shell.

[AT P Sweep]

Yes~ you are right ~

For the want of a better description ~ ( Jim jam or jammy jock !? )

[lithgow]

Earthing spikes for S/W radios-if the soil's dry, you have to urinate on the stake (but not while the radio is switched on!).

[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #541

Despite the recent report I have been off the dial for some weeks now as my partner Ms M escaped the dark side a very very narrow edge ~ included belong choppered to Cairns. But she is on the mend although pretty well incapacitated ~

So Escaped the confines of the home front with her Blessing ~ Fine weather despite rain forecast ~ I ended up doing three strange hunt as always Military sites ~ But the essential point is that the second and third sites have been accessed fro some years! ~ but the result demonstrated that NO site is devoid of relics.

I was stunned at the sheer numbers of goodies I found even picking up relics as Sunbakers..

Beer Bottle dated 1945

Top buckle is the forward sling bracket peculiar to the Thompson submachine gun !

CLIFTON GARDENS, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. 1942-12.

INSTRUCTOR ON EXTREME RIGHT IS GIVING INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF A THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN TO A GROUP OF PERSONNEL OF 1 AUSTRALIAN WATER TRANSPORT GROUP.

First of lot cleaned up ~the TSMG sling bracket~

The Best pf #541

The RS is clearly imprinted on rear ~ 'KG Luke Melb'

Coat buttons indents apart in amazing condition. Can anyone tell me wha the large webbing buckle application was? (Second one I have dug ~)

4,335

[BlackCat1982]

Glad to hear yer good lady is beating the big bad bug.

[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #542
Team hunt ~

( Or the classic relic Find of 2020 ?)

Forecast for rain ~ but have little faith in the BOM forecasts ~ we set off at 08:30 ~

MD does not get much better than this ~ wide open ground easy digging especially when there are targets a plenty ~ a classic example of ~ No ground is devoid of targets!

On wandering into the site ~ I literally picked up a SMLE drop weight ~ and a buckle!

Fortunately a breeze came up after about the first hour which bought great relief. Temperature at around 25 –28 degrees.

Some spectacular targets emerged early ~

DM picked up a ID tag which appears to be NZ expeditionary forces (?)

(DM has contacted the family in NZ ~ He was wounded in North Africa and sent home on an Australian Ship ~ but no idea how he ended up in Far North QLD!)

He also picked up a folded barb wire cute set ~ ferrous but certainly worth giving a run in the Vinegar ~ Plus a aluminium canteen tray with name engraved on the top.


After smoko we pressed on spreading our wings ~ it then I was half way up the slope and picked up on a low tine signal ~ but it was a clean signal so ~

My MD Spirits said ~ ‘DEEEEGGGEeeee IT ~ SS ~ Com Onnnn~ Deeeg it! “

And out pops a Crucifix in a vey sandy shallow hole ~ on the incline approaching the hill nearby ~ I actually reckon it was because it was such a low signal or perhaps the Minelab ~ what ever ~

My personal best find for 2020 ~

We called game over around 14:00 just in time to avoid several storms which erupted as we headed off ~

The Drift or pooch I found under fallen tree / log and Drop[ weight ~ and others all cleaned up ~

One of the most recent RS is too far gone as it has a blob of brass melted onto the rear of it ~ the previous came up reasonably ~

Ironic that the three buttons have all been indented in much the same way / fashion ~ BUT How the heck did they bend them ~ see it a lot ~ they are pretty dam tough !

PAPUA. SANANANDA AREA. MEN OF 2/7TH CAVALRY REGIMENT IN A FOX HOLE, A FORWARD SECTION POST LESS THAN 30 YARDS FROM JAPANESE POSITIONS, SURROUNDED BY MUD AND WATER. THE PHOTOGRAPHER WHO TOOK THIS PICTURE COULD HEAR JAPANESE SOLDIERS TALKING, BUT COULD NOT SEE THEM. (AWM Copyright expired public domain)

[MAP]

Great finds. Merry Christmas!

[AT P Sweep]

Cheers Mate
Same to you and all ~

I got to get me one of these ~ replace the Surf board with the metal detector ~

I was about to report on the latest Hunt yesterday and I suddenly realise I am two behind ! So more to come ~

[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #543

Monday ~ Back in the dump again ~ I woke at 05:00 and MD Spirits said I was NOT allowed to go back to sleep ~ always happens of late when I plan a hunt~

So I got up at 06:30 and took my time and was away by 08:00 on the dot It was 25 deg ambient temp when I pulled up at 08:25.~

Did a two part plan ~ but been to first site and little results ~ it was a Military Vehicle work shop so a lot of ferrous metal and components still kicking about but of little value ~ So headed off for part 2 ~

All started off slow so I broke for a Smoko around 10:30 Temp climbing but a nice breeze which switched frequently ~ After Smoko thins improved with a lot of Buckles ~

Had to sift thru dozens if not THOUSANDS ! ~ of Tent eyelet/ rings ~ they generally ring a constant 18 ~ The Minelab well capable of sorting the trash for higher tones and such ~ But after the Crucifix ~ one has to be totally focused remembering the Cross was a solid 14-15 !

And an intriguing episode when I found a square buckle hard up against a log ~ So I moved the two logs and 30 minutes later I have six buckles and a cut down 50 cal. shell case~ Another MD case demonstrated ~ LOL

At 13:15 the wind dropped and the mercury zoomed up ~

So I called game over and took a slow steady trek to the car ~

( Always take a frozen drink bottle with Gatorade and a dash of Ginger reviver ~ plus a sparking mineral water ~ Plus took a 1.25 litre tap water to simply pour over the Noodle ~ )

I was struggling but have enough sense to gear up properly ~ including a bandana which I hang over my head along with sweat band and hat ~ But I was struggling ~

The 25th arrived at Milne Bay on 15 July and was deployed with the 61st defending the No. 3 strip at Gili Gili. The 25th also covered the beach. On 27 August the Japanese made an amphibious landing at Milne Bay and reached the edge of the airstrip the next day, waiting to be reinforced. Early in the morning of 31 August the Japanese forces charged but suffered against the Australian defence and withdrew at dawn. The battle ended on 7 September.

The 7th Brigade remained at Milne Bay until March 1943 when it was transferred to Donadabu, near Port Moresby, to continue training.

The brigade progressively returned to Australia in November and was granted leave until February 1945, when it regrouped on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland.

In July the brigade returned to New Guinea, garrisoning the Madang area before being transferred to Torokina in Bougainville in November. About one-third of the men in the brigade were veterans of Milne Bay.

The 25th served in both the Central and Southern Sectors in Bougainville. In the Central Sector, the 25th relieved the 9th and captured Pearl Ridge on 30 December. In January the 25th was transferred to the Southern Sector, where it joined the brigade's advance to the Puriata River until March. Leaving from Motupena Point the battalion followed the coast to Toko and headed inland to Slater's Knoll on the bank of the Puriata.

BOUGAINVILLE, 1945-04-26. A TRACTOR TRAIN MOVING ALONG BUIN ROAD LOADED WITH RATIONS, AMMUNITION AND BARBED WIRE FOR C COMPANY, 24 INFANTRY BATTALION, FORWARD OF THE SINDOU RIVER.







A ROAD SIGN ERECTED ON THE CORDUROY SECTION OF THE BUIN ROAD, THE MAIN SUPPLY ROUTE FOR TROOPS OF 15 INFANTRY BRIGADE, ADVANCING AGAINST THE JAPANESE SOUTH OF THE HONGORAI RIVER. ENGINEERS ARE FOLLOWING UP TO ENLARGE THE JEEP TRACK TO A 3 TONNER ROAD.

4,823

[BlackCat1982]

Great haul of finds ATP, what a way to end the year. Love the ID tag as well. Promising locations for more in the new year!. Happy hunting.