Let's settle this !

**packin9** · 12-12-2008, 05:55 PM

by Mike Peters

Ever consider that some Soldier was making a "Trench Art" Ashtray or something to send home ? These could have been what was left over ..what he didn't use.
could be ?

Good possibility!

**Mike Peters** · 12-12-2008, 06:05 PM

Sometimes we look way too deep ..and it ends up being a simple answer we overlooked !

**packin9** · 12-12-2008, 06:25 PM

The old 'making a mountain out of a mole hill' ploy. But it's still good to stimulate the imagination. Who knows? You might come with an answer that there's no question for.

**Mike Peters** · 12-12-2008, 06:37 PM

by packin9

The old 'making a mountain out of a mole hill' ploy. But it's still good to stimulate the imagination. Who knows? You might come with an answer that there's no question for.

I knew that was coming

**Nick VR** · 12-13-2008, 11:56 AM

Hi Relichunter

Maybe some young soldier got really bored on that airfield. I remember when I was 18 I wrecked all kind of stuff for no good reason...

Greetz

Nick VR

**bigfoot** · 12-14-2008, 03:22 AM

Do the cases look actually cut? Can you see saw marks? These could possibly be removed jammed shells. The forward part of the casing remains jammed in the receiver while the extractor rips the back of the shell off. The plane would have to have an armorer remove them at the airfield.

**packin9** · 12-14-2008, 06:08 PM

by bigfoot

Do the cases look actually cut? Can you see saw marks? These could possibly be removed jammed shells. The forward part of the casing remains jammed in the receiver while the extractor rips the back of the shell off. The plane would have to have an armorer remove them at the airfield.

Nah. They do look cut. Certainly not "ripped".

**Mike Peters** · 12-15-2008, 12:35 AM

These don't look like they were fired ..look at the primers , and the projectile is still in place.
No extractor was used on these ...the cases were not ruptured , they were cut.

This had to have been for an "Arts & Crafts" Competition the Soldiers were holding between Battles

**gremlin** · 12-19-2008, 05:31 PM

I do a lot of searching around old USAAF bases and I to often find cut down cartridge cases ... I've always opted for the trench-art option ... and on one occasion actually found some .50 cal cases that were already half-way to becoming lighters ... but had been discarded ... along with several other cut-up cartridge cases. These were all found in a 'dump' area close to the location of where a ground-crew shack / tent once stood. Ground crews did tend to have time on their hands once a mission was out ... and the manufacture of trench-art seems to have been a commonplace in just about every airforce!