USAAF base dump - Another fantastic find!
Article about: I paid a visit to the USAAF dump yesterday that I have been digging for a few years now. Indeed, this was my second visit this year, the first one resulting in some nice finds, including a c
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USAAF base dump - Another fantastic find!
I paid a visit to the USAAF dump yesterday that I have been digging for a few years now. Indeed, this was my second visit this year, the first one resulting in some nice finds, including a chunk of P51, (you may have seen the thread posted a few weeks back).
On this visit I took some extra manpower with me, in the shape of my son. This meant we could cover quite a bit more area than me digging alone so I was hopeful of some good finds.
After an hours digging and having to put up with some truly awful smells, (my son had terrible wind and kept farting down the bottom of the 5 foot deep hole we were both in……little fecker), we hadn’t much to show for our efforts. I was moderately happy with a nice blue poison bottle we had found, and was keen to clean up a couple of spoons we had also found, but apart from that, the day was good, but not memorable.
I took a break whilst my son shifted some spoil and was kicking around in that same spoil when something flew past my head, landing in the soil next to me.
‘Bloody coat hook!’ mumbled my son from the bottom of the hole. ‘Sorry. Did that nearly hit you?’
‘Nearly. Try and remember I’m sat behind you eh?’ I replied and picked up the ‘coat hook’.
Well, suffice to say I am surprised nobody heard the swearing!!! Coat hook??? NOT BLOODY LIKELY !!! It was one of the best finds ever from this dump and I could do nothing but stare at the ‘coat hook’ for 5 minutes, swearing under my breath, whilst my son sniggered at the bottom of the hole.
The item is at the bottom of this thread…….
Half an hour later another find came out that, to begin with, seemed quite mundane. However, after cleaning, this too joined the growing list of ‘awesome finds’ from this base. It is pictured with the spoons.
I have put together a video of the dig, to be found here......
WW2 relic hunting - Mustang and 50cal MG parts! - YouTube
First up, before any cleaning.
Bottles first. The dump is, as normal, filled with broken bottles. Some come out whole, and some have nice markings on them. The vintage Old Spice bottle is very nice.
Horlicks Malted Milk Lunch Tablets! Blimey…….I remember them from when I was a lad !
The beer bottle not only still retained its stopper, but was also dated on the bottom, 1942.
And the blue poison bottle? A nice little find, made even better by the WD arrow !
The rest of the stuff cleaned……
Part of a razor and other random chunks, yet to be IDd.
Merlin engine exhaust stub lock washers.
A lid off something. It reminds me of something but I can’t put my finger on it…..
I think these are out of batteries?
Some nice aircrafty bits.
These two battery components are nicely marked, (5J – Battery, primary and secondary)
As is the tubing clamp
On to the cutlery. Two nice teaspoons and a fish knife. As usual with cutlery, cleaning often reveals marks, and two of these didn’t disappoint!
The fish knife has only got the RAF crest on it!!!!
AND a date, 1941
As has one of the spoons, along with a WD arrow.
One 20mm and two 50cal cartridges, all US made.
Two US mess tins. Not dated but recovered from the same depth as all other dateable WW2 items.
And the find to top the day off?
The coat hook?
Nah.
50cal Combination tool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has the remains of markings on it so it is currently sat in a strong citric acid solution to see if I can reveal more of the markings. Fingers crossed it does. I’ll post more pics once the process is complete.
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Thanks brataccas
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your 50 cal thing says "MADE IN ENGLAND" ? and "NOZZLE"(?)
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It says Muzzle Gland, for removing the bushing from the end of the M2AC. There will also be more words next to each part of the tool like Muzzle Bearing and Barrel Bearing.
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Great finds Steve and I love the Old Spice bottle. I reckon that WD marked poison bottle is worth a few bob too as they are quite rare now and there is a big collectors market for poison bottles. Great stuff!
19th Century Antique Glass Bottles of the British Military
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Some cool stuff there mister!
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Why, thank you Mr Reg. Most kind of you.
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