Recent Normandy Finds

[rockethead]

Hi all, my first post on this site!

I attach a few photos of some finds made recently in the Normandy area. The frame of shell cases, shrapnel and barbed wire were 'eyes only' finds on Utah beach. If you look hard enough for long enough then it is still there. I displayed the shells against a back drop of sand from Utah beach, the label is still be printed. The next pic of the 50 cal shell case complete with pebbles was found on Omaha beach (the shell was found inside a lump of cercretian (excuse my spelling!!) I decided to leave it as found. It was found after a storm with several other 50 cal cases some exploded and some fired. Any ideas what might of had such a large caliber on the beach? Did any vehicles get destroyed by direct hits? Lastly the photo of relics with the razor were all found in land about 10 miles were a battle occurred actually on D-Day. The razor is patented Canadian and dated 1937. Any ideas what the tin was for? the remains of a tooth pick were found inside? also the piece of wire - any ideas? Would welcome your comments and ideas.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

You have displayed your finds very nicely. I think leaving the .50 cal case as found is great!

The .50 was fitted to a wide varity of vehicles, from Sherman tanks, DUKW's etc, right down to Jeeps. It could even be from an aircraft.

The brass buckles are British/Canadian as you most likely know.

The tin is again most likely British. I collect British ration tins but I do not recognise it as one of these due to the small size? It could well be a commercial item for sweets, tobbaco etc.

Cheers, Ade.

[rockethead]

Hi Ade,

Thanks for that, I guess if the small tin is a tobbaco tin then the tooth pick may have been used to clean out a pipe or something similar? To think that the razor would most likely have been used the morning of D-Day sends a shiver down my back!

Thanks again.

Dan

[Steve T]

I think the tin could also be a Snuff box.......quite widely used by the soldiers and the tins were readily disposable.

You look like you got a couple of 9mm casings there as well....can you tell me what the headstamp says ?

You've also got a couple of fragments of drive band of large calibre shells.

Nice finds.

Steve T

[ironcross1]

Welcome aboard mate , i like the way you have displayed your relics , some neat bits there , cheers Raymond

[gremlin]

Some very nice finds ... the wire top left is part of a US aerial bomb arming wire assembly and the 2 attached bits are Fahnstock clips which were used to ensure that the arming wire did not become detached from the fuzes arming vanes prior to the bomb being released from an aircraft.

Have a look at : Bombs and Components

Interestingly the arming wire usually remained attached to the bomb racks of the aircraft while the bomb fell free - thus allowing the fuze vanes to spin and arm the bomb.

All the best,
Gremlin

[ace]

amazing finds welcome to the forum buddy

[rockethead]

Hi marks on shells are - W/W could be W/H? 43 B(Broad Arrow)P.

Would love to know what weapon they were fired from.

Dan

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Dan, you can be fairly certain that they were fired from a Sten gun. Another possiblity would be a Browning HP pistol.

I think that the headstamp will actually read 9 MM 43 B/I\E?

"43" is the date of production. "BE" is Royal Ordnance Factory, Blackpole, Worcester

Cheers, Ade.

[Steve T]

Almost certainly sten gun.

Ade has got the rest of the markings right.....he must be having a good day

Steve T