WW2 airfield barracks - Latest visit - more great finds !

[Steve T]

Hi all

Well after the excitement of my last visit I had high hopes of finding more German gear.

I was dead chuffed with the finds on the day and not only DID find more German stuff, but also my best ever (to date) RAF find !!

As usual I need help with identification of some items so please have a look at the pictures and help me if you can. Let's see if someone can beat Ade to the punch

Before cleaning.........



After cleaning...........



Firstly the stuff I am unsure about.

Two small discs, both found lying next to each other in the same hole. Probably both fallen from the same piece of equipment, but what equipment ?



A really nice tin in this picture, found beneath a VERY large tree ! I think it is a tin for a razor.....I got excited when i found it as something was inside......but it turned out to be a piece of metal and what looks like a very VERY rusty razor blade. Can anyone confirm ? Anyone know what the other stuff is ? (apart from the fishing weight of course )



When I first dug the black thing up I thought it was another fishing weight. However, after cleaning it turned out to be a bell with some scroll work on the metal. Is this something military or perhaps off the collar of the base mascot ?

The other item is weird. Appears to be made out of a very light metal alloy and you can make out some of the words......

'Keep me and never go broke' on one face....

'John....(lots of unreadable letters)...othing'



Some buckles and clips....



Ok, now onto the stuff I have more knowledge of. Firstly, loads of buttons. Two of them are German Pebble buttons, but why has one of them got a large '2' embossed on the front ?



A closer look at the German buttons. On the back one reads 'A & S 42' and the other reads 'T&G'.



Lots of coins this time INCLUDING a German 10 pfennig piece, dated 1942 !!!! I love this item ! The coin that appears blank is only like this because the flash showed how shiney it is. It's an American one cent dated 1912.

Someone has bent a Ha'penny in half.......lord only knows why and indeed how. It must've taken some doing.



Some toiletries.....



And some utensils. Last time I found a spoon with 'AM' on it for 'Air Ministry'. I have now got one with 'U.S.' on it as well

Anyone any idea what the brass thingy is in the picture ?



Now then....have a look at THIS little beauty !! My best RAF find ever



A complete 50 cal and a 50 cal bullet. Don't worry though, the 50 cal has had the blast cap and gunpowder removed by someone just before they threw it away



And lastly some 303 rounds and one badly damaged 30 cal M1 carbine round. A couple of blanks and one unfired whole round that I unfortunately snapped in half with my spade when digging it up I've included the headstamps for you guys who, like me, like to see them



And that is the lot this time round. Oh......I did find another of those iron plates (see top pictures) but we've had a discussion about what it could be so I left it out the individual pics.

Hope you like the finds

Steve T

[Steve T]

Found the little bugger !

That funny metal alloy with the writing on it is the surround to a one cent piece.

No wonder I found this disc AND the one cent in the same hole !!!! I thought it was just coincidence !

The coin is a lucky penny. Here is a pic I found of a complete one. The writing on the back is basically where it came from.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Steve, once again well done!

The tin could be for a pair of British goggles. I have a very similar one in my collection. Any trace of brown paint?

The German button with a "2" is for a shoulder strap. These came with a selection of numbers on them to denote the wearers Kompanie. They were mainly a pre war produced item.

The button with the wreath on it is from a US Herring Bone Twill fatigue uniform.

Hope this helps?

Cheers, Ade.

[Steve T]

Thanks Ade

No trace of brown paint.....not even in the stamp on the front so almost certainly it has always been bare metal.

What did you think to the RAF badge by the way ? Ain't she a cracker !

Steve T

[Gary J]

The bronze bell is a medieval crotal bell. (16th through 17th century)
They were basic bell hung from horses etc.

Crotal bells - ukdfd

"Brass thingy" next to fork and spoon is the main body of a dart (180 !)

[SteveR]

The bell is for horses. They were used in the states well into the 20th century. Usually found on leather strips with 12 to 18 bells attached with the exact same patterns cast into them. Sometimes all the same size and at times small to large sizes. Normally used as sleigh bells in the winter time.

[ian_]

Hello Steve, the round bakelite item bellow the spectacle case is an earphone from a flying helmet or headset, If it has A (crown) M embossed it's a British one (Air Ministry). Interesting finds.

[j,nasher@hotmail.co.uk]

The bell is a crotal bell 17th / 18th century used on animals and people , found lots of them metal detecting, sometime have the foundry marks who made them on them.

[sahara]

I think the brass tubular knurled item is the head of a dart, you know, the kind you throw in Pubs. The sharp part is either rusted or broken off. The shaft with the feathers screws into the other end.

[Steve T]

sahara

Welcome to the forum and many thanks for your reply

It is indeed a dart 'body'

Steve T