USAAF airbase - Two NEW dumps discovered !

[Steve T]

Hi all

After a number of hours research and three ground searches, I have discovered two new dumps at the airbase I have been visiting for the past few years. I found them a few weeks back but wanted to wait until I'd dug them before posting up. I have made friends with the landowner and have given him quite a few of the pieces I have found, along with a lot of information about the airfield he was unaware of.

So far I have only dug 'test' pits to confirm the dump(s) location and, as a result, have only a few meagre finds to show you. However, I shall be returning in a few weeks time to get properly stuck into the site. The landowner is even going to help out with his JCB !!!!

Anyway, on to the few finds I have so far.

First up a group shot.



A few odds and ends. Don't anticipate them being anything of note, but I bring everything back just in case !



More odds n sods



A Gibbs dental powder tin and a Nivea tin



Nicely marked chunks of crockery. These are always nice to find as they 'date' the dump. The RAF mark is a good one.....shame the plate wasn't complete.



A tube of shaving cream that survived as it was rolled up when I found it.



A cut through 30 and 50cal cartridge. The 50 is dated 43. Looks like it has been drilled off centre in the base which makes me think is was going to be something like a lighter, but when the 'maker' saw he'd not hit the centre, chucked this bit away and started again.



A cupie doll ...... I think



Now onto the best finds of the day. This glove was in amongst pottery shards so the hopeful side of me has it down as a USAAF glove, possibly used as a 'lining' glove for when flying. No marks to give it away I'm afraid.



I went on a bit of a recce around the site and found this wedged under a tree. One trunk of the tree had grown over the box and wedged it to the floor. I wasn't going to take it until I saw the little plaque on the end that was butted up against the tree. I could just make out the 'A' and the crown so dug a little soil from under it and pulled it out. Air ministry crate ! Can't find 4D in my stores codes though.......



And lastly the toothbursh in the picture above turned out to be a little belter when I cleaned it up. I've never seen one marked with the WD arrow before, but this one is AND it's dated !!! 1941 Ok......so it's an old toothbrush....but it made the test pit dig well worthwhile !



I shall post back in this thread when I go back to the dump in a few weeks time.

Cheers

Steve T

[Josey]

Steve,

Wow! Very intersting. I look forward to seeing what else you may find. Thanks for sharing.

Josey

[Paul B]

I went on a bit of a recce around the site and found this wedged under a tree. One trunk of the tree had grown over the box and wedged it to the floor. I wasn't going to take it until I saw the little plaque on the end that was butted up against the tree. I could just make out the 'A' and the crown so dug a little soil from under it and pulled it out. Air ministry crate ! Can't find 4D in my stores codes though.......

Group 4: Aerodrome Equipment
4D: Storage Equipment

Well duh...

All the best,
PB

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Nice finds mate, I love the toothbrush there's so much info. The box is a great survivor being on the surface and a natural rain water trap, its AM plate is very interesting as is the glove, I agree it does look like some sort of flying glove.
The little doll looks like a cake decoration, you did well to spot that being so small. Perhaps it's from a childs cake and was retained by the father for use as a little lucky charm.

Im already looking forward to your next visit.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[381st digger]

Hi Steve,
Great start!!
Do you think that small doll could be made out of plexi-glass? Iv found small things like this at my site and it looks like they were made as good luck charms. You maybe thinking its colour is wrong for plexi-glass but if you find a burnt piece it goes this colour. Just a thought.

[Whitehunter]

Well done Steve,

That toothbrush is now on my toothbrush wishlish. That box is in fantastic condition a cracking find!

Looking forward to the next one


John

[Steve T]

Josey - Thanks mate I gave the landowners wife an empty jar of Oxo, Bovril AND Marmite; a nail varnish pot; some dated crockery; three tea ration tins; a silver plated spoon (unmarked); a couple of other bottles and jars; a 303 blank. She really liked them all

PB - LOL ! The AM code 'categories' are pretty broad brush aren't they Still, nice to know it is positively identifiable as the kind of box you store things in, as opposed to the type that you.......erm.......put things in to keep them together. Oh wait, that's storage ain't it?

LS and 381st - The doll is made from porcelain type material and there is the very feint remnants of pink blusher and blue eye colour on it. I am sure it is a Kewpie doll, (I gave it the traditional English spelling in my original post ), but you could well be right about it being a cake decoration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kewpie_doll_(toy)

WH - I've told you John, you can BUY new toothbrushes at any good supermarket or pharmacy, you don't have to wait until you dig one up to change yours you know ! (It has great markings doesn't it! ). I'll let you in on a secret ....... I wouldn't have found that box if I hadn't of needed a pee I was in sight of the owners house so had to walk into the woods a ways. And no.....I didn't pee in/on it !

Cheers guys

Steve T

[slug]

Those are really nice finds you have there. My friend Mick is interested in buried US artifacts, I will tell him to take a look at this thread. Thanks for posting.

Slug

[ehawk]

Great start for a recon trip Steve. Keep posting your new digs...Im always looking forward to see what you find next! Always interesting............Cheers, Edwin

[Steve T]

Thanks Ehawk

Steve T