Forest Finds in NE France 2009

**Forestwalker** · 03-12-2009, 07:25 PM

As per my recent posts, please find below some of the items i saw in French forests last week. I have no metal detector and don`t dig, this is all just seen on the floor of the forest......its still there if you look hard enough.........

**Paul D** · 03-12-2009, 07:49 PM

Yes the iron harvest is still there after 90 years , is this the Somme ?

**Forestwalker** · 03-12-2009, 11:29 PM

All of these items were found west of Verdun towards Argonne forests, here are a few more......
German wine bottle and remnants of a spirits container.
Relic French water bottle.
F1 Grenade.

**Forestwalker** · 03-14-2009, 12:34 AM

Cheers Phil, I only ever photograph ordnance, not worth losing a limb over ! I didn`t find any helmets ( but I will one day !! ) but I couldn`t resist this one in the Verdun shop window.....Plus a few other purchases, all cleaned out and legal of course.

**Ty Revelo** · 03-14-2009, 02:20 AM

Hey Paul, nice find!

I'm with Phil stay away from rotting ordnance. It's still heard today of old ordnance here in america killing or blowing limbs off of people from old U.S. Civil War relics blowing apart and that was 145 years ago!

regards, Tyrone

**Forestwalker** · 03-15-2009, 12:41 AM

Too right Tyrone, I only ever take a photo, don`t ever touch it. I have heard of civil war ordnance claiming lives, its amazing how unstable this stuff becomes over the years. I have heard that a few lives each year are still claimed in France and Belgium by people trying to remove fuses or driving bands, surely its not worth it ! Take a pic and leave it alone !
Thanks for the comments guys, all the best.

**Jimbo** · 03-27-2009, 07:02 PM

Looking at "Forestwalker's" picture of the 2 grenades (one rifle and a F1) please can someone tell me any information about the rifle grenade (sorry to add this in your post!).

**Forestwalker** · 03-27-2009, 11:08 PM

No probs Jimbo ! Info below courtesy of : "Source : www.passioncompassion1418.com"

The model 1913 rifle grenade
is the first of a series of grenades developed by German intended to be lauched using the simple Mauser infantry rifled armed with a blank ammunition, after inserting the long steel rod into the gun.

The steel body, with an external squaring, was filled with explosive and crossed by an axial tube that linked the screwable detonator casing on the top of the projectile with the base plate. This piece was carrying the inertia block mechanism that was armed by the initial shock of the departure.

The principal problem of the model 1913 was its too good aerodynamic properties, making of it too good an effective projectile, sinking too deeply into the ground before explosion. An amelioration was given by adding an optionnal 90 mm diameter disc to the grenade, screwed on the head to decrease the range.
Weight 900 gr., 80 g ammonium nitrate.

All the best
FW