Australian WWII - Far North Queensland Metal detecting and recovery

[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #567


On the level ~ Ground.


Another training ground hunt ~ proviso ~ NO mountain climbing ~

So we headed to a slightly different area ~ Prefect weather ~ very cool early ~ well for us ~ 14 Deg.


We were digging targets again within thawing range of the car.



Grounds very dry and very sandy but compacted ~ Robert started into a hole which dragged me in as well~ t gave off a great signal and the hole grew ~ turned out to be a section of steel/ tin container ~

The ground too hard fro spades so we used only picks ~ but we soon realized that one had to dig with the spiked end and not the flat as the the latter threw dust and sand over one's lower legs and higher !


But the whole regions was pretty well flat with small creeks and washes ~ so a huge change after the last hunt ~

The whole area was "riddled" with 303 projectiles ~ So obviously a lot of target range shooting going on here ~ But as many will know the range of a SMLE 303 was quite along distance ~ 2-3 kilometers ~

But then as a contradiction we wandered into a heavy artillery range with a lot of drive bands and heavy fragmentations of 25 Pdr.

Covered quite a lot of ground interspersed with different targets and including what was later to be revealed as yet another unknown calibre of artillery ~ Plus a sprinkling of imploded shell cases ~

So there was no total escape from heavy loads ~ but this time we were able to place the heavy weights in strategic position and able to pick them up on the way out.


By 13:00 the mercury was again on the rise and after a main Smoko we called it a day and headed home as planned ~

Robert picked up a alloy fuse fragment and I also scored a alloy fuze fragment with "talk" which allowed me to ID it ~ as a Bofors 40 mm Anti-aircraft High explosive shell~

This has now led into a discussion in our group about AP HE Two Pdr.s and HE 40 mm.



WWW.Victoria's Colletion




www.Mapleleaf artillery .com




Bofors AA gun 40 mm mounted on Ford Blitz , AWM




Cairns Esplanade ~ Bofors AA gun in place on water front 1943. AWM

Once again a previously unknown projectile ~ Robert's fragment was ID as a US 40 mm Bofors gun HE and Mine is a Aust made Bofors High explosive No 243 AAM ( made) 194-

[AT P Sweep]

Fossick #568

Return to the High country yet again ~ #568 !

Usual routine but some concerns regarding the forecast for higher temperatures ~ But the forecast was for low of 18 and high of 27 deg. with a 5 km breeze!

How wrong they were ~ Temp as we rallied to meet up ~ it was 9 deg. Clear skies ~


( We did a Hunt last week in the flat ground rather than the mountain climbing ~ which was a huge change ~ different area ~ but the back pack was till weighed down ! at the end of the day ~)

On same spot park as last week and rigged up with a plan ~ This time with UHF radios in tact.

I had an early win when I dug a 90% intact No 243 fuse ~ We were generally split up but I could track Robert by listening for the ATP.

I actually found several targeted hot spots with a sun baker two pounder and 25 Pdr. frags ~ almost as it the creek had been a specific target ~

We worked to the East this time and then up the hill/s ~

Intriguingly we found numerous gun and Mortar pits ~

This I believe was a 4.2" mortar pit ~ No acess channel and large diameter~



The fact I dug the 112 Fuze guard and retaining ring right next to this and has acess path says this was a 25 Pdr. gun pit!

I then dug a deep target right next to a very detailed gun put which obviously sheltered a 26 Pdr. as the target turned into a 112 Smoke shell fuze guard and retaining ring.

This soil instantly fell apart forming heavy dust when worked with the picks.. We both ended up with lower legs being coated in fine sand dust ~

We pushed on to the hill and I hiked to the very top as it was a gentle sloping incline but all I found was a single .577 Kynoch, a Sun baker in fact ~ which says it was there waiting for me for over 100 years likely more. As Robert said ~"That has been laying there for a very long time !"

I climbed the slope to the very top ~ and found nothing but 303 projectiles and isolated colonial detritus here and there!

Robert suggested that it has been picked clean but not even frags?

The fact that the 25 Pdr. gun pits was facing directly to this same hill ~ can only suggest they were firing over the hill for out of sight or indirect line of fire!?

By the time we re-crossed the river bed and then back onto the opposite plain the temperatures were climbing and the clock ticking.

I called to close proceedings and return to bas e but seems some one had accidently changed his radio setting~ but we both worked our way back to the car simultaneously, so no problems ~ ~

Then had lunch and a cappa before pulling up the stumps ~ with a the mercury hovering around 35 deg and a windless forest .

As always good day ~ great company ~ always up for another hunt in the area ~ always enjoyed the site/s ~ Keeping optimistic about Spring fires and burn offs ~

Fuze No 243 Mk IIN (Sectioned) | Imperial War Museums







Mystery Colonial ? item.





The securing rings were originally Zinc coated .



AITAPE, NEW GUINEA. 1945-03-10. ARTILLERY IN JUNGLE CONDITIONS. A NEW HIGH ANGLE 25-POUNDER POSITION INSTALLED IN THE 6 DIVISION AREA BY 2/3 FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMY PERSONNEL.



018256 Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Australian artillery men unloading 25-pounder ammunition at Puto Beach. The cases are passed from hand to hand as the most expeditious means of unloading.

1,768

[AT P Sweep]

Wow

The Mystery item is part of a Ladies corset structure ! (??)

[MAP]

Wow

The Mystery item is part of a Ladies corset structure ! (??)

Those surely don't look comfortable.......

[AT P Sweep]

Those surely don't look comfortable.......

Mate~ the health repercussions were horrendous ~ ~only have to imagine what applying severe pressure to the stomach regions woudl do to the intestines.. Horrendous ~ awful ~

All in the name of Vanity eh ~

(But then these moderate body harnesses are still being used today ~ I mean I feel for young blokes today ~ you jus don't knwo what you have until you get it home and unwrap it ! LOL )

[AT P Sweep]

Latest Clean up ~

The Pathetic part si that tis HE shell was mad inthe same trime frame that Singapore fell to the Japanese ~ All because of a bureaucrats failing ~ and 1000s of Australian Diggers ~ and so many others went to Hell~

[BlackCat1982]

Painting the fractures bright red makes it all the more grisly.

[AT P Sweep]

Painting the fractures bright red makes it all the more grisly.

Yes mate ~ agreed ~ I considered all aspects ~ the Gun metal may not be original either but adds a great aspect ~

The red does add impact and dynamics..

The yellow is designed to be a part of the original 25 Pdr. HE (external) case yellow ~ A littel (fractured) stenciling may be effective too~

The HE base plate 4 1/2" also gained by the use of the red ~

[AT P Sweep]

Another check up on Progress ~

( Was curious that this bottle is Green ~ where as the standard Australian issue was always royal Blue ~ Just bee pointed out that Canadian~or UK made/ supplied bottles were Green ~)

So another Canadian / or UK issue ~ Ironically I found this in a clean batch this week as well ~

And I found this some time back ~ thanks to advice on site for clarifying that this is also a Canadian make.

[AT P Sweep]

New poster printed up today ~

Poster from Germany 1930-40s ~ Excellent and So appropriate even today ~

Loosely translated ~ " Nien gossip~ the Enemy hears!" ( I am sure some our Germanic friends can clarify that further ~)