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Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

Article about: I've just got a metal detector so hopefully I can add some threads here when I am able to search some places Even before I do that, I have an item I'm not sure of (among some I've been given

  1. #1

    Post Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    I've just got a metal detector so hopefully I can add some threads here when I am able to search some places

    Even before I do that, I have an item I'm not sure of (among some I've been given - that encouraged me to try to get out there & detect) …

    Unfortunately I have no information on this & it wasn't found with the mortar fuse cover/caps I got ... so there's a distinct possibility its not even of military origin; although I believe it was found at a former military site.

    Just figured I'll need advice on finds once I start detecting anyway, so I might as well start a thread with this as I'll use it again

    Hopefully someone might recognise what it is / for - whether military or not! - as its a somewhat distinctive serrated 'washer' / 'cap' with hole...

    'As found' condition PS. QR buckle is nothing to do with it, I just left it in the picture for some scale (larger type for belts - 2"?) :

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Edit: Adding composite picture of both faces after a scrub...

    On the left is what I consider the 'front'. On right, the 'rear' which you may just make out is not a flat surface either. So unlikely to work as a washer / spacer! Neither would it make a good 'cog', despite the serrations. It is similar to the handle on a stop tap but the central hole seems far too large for that? Possibly some sort of dial / control?

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests
    Last edited by brickie501; 01-20-2019 at 07:18 PM. Reason: Picture & added description added

  2. #2

    Post

    Thanks to an offline discussion with Steve T, I've established its definitely a military item or a "BOAT"

    For others' interest, while I've not started detecting properly, I have acquired a few spent cases through various means...

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    The 3x charger clips of .303 in the top row (& the few 'bright' cases below) were fired from the 'sporterised' Enfield No4 that I owned when I lived in the States. Cheapest stuff I could get was Iraqi government surplus - some of which appears to have been made in 1938!

    The .338 cases came back from a tour in Afghanistan (for the first time in my experience, troops were allowed to bring back a limited amount of spent 'brass' - up to 105mm arty cases - following a 'free from explosives' check).

    The other 3x .303 may have been 'dug', along with the .45ACP case further to the right; .303s are 1916, 1942 & 1943 dated with .45ACP bearing a headstamp typical of early WW2 UK issue. The case mouths are slightly eroded & they were very tarnished (although much improved by a bath in ketchup!) but impossible to tell as came via eBay. Assorted 5.56 & 7.62 NATO (blank cartridge & empty cases), more .303 plus 9mm stuff were in the same lot too.

    The 7.62x39 Russian (3x blanks & an empty case - Chinese & N Korean made respectively) were picked up when I was working out in Africa

    Selected headstamps shown below:

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    7.92 'Kurz' (not shown in other pic) is a purchased inert round
    Last edited by brickie501; 01-20-2019 at 07:26 PM.

  3. #3

    Default European Hunting

    More exploration pre-metal detector purchase...
    Last summer's family holiday had quite a bit of military interest. See below for some of the many photographs I took

    Relics (although possibly post war - see below) near the prototype V3 (multi charge cannon) test site in Poland:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    A nearby cement works that was 'militarised' during WW2 and after (but now long derelict) - the original factory is to the right of the dock & a few later storage buildings can be seen to the left but its hard to convey the scale of the Cold War era site it grew into:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Bunker near KZ-Arbeitslager Karlshagen 1 at Peenemunde test site:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Can anyone identify the 'rack like' item dumped inside?
    Last edited by brickie501; 01-20-2019 at 11:15 PM.

  4. #4

    Default

    Quote by brickie501 View Post
    I've just got a metal detector so hopefully I can add some threads here when I am able to search some places

    Even before I do that, I have an item I'm not sure of (among some I've been given - that encouraged me to try to get out there & detect) …

    Unfortunately I have no information on this & it wasn't found with the mortar fuse cover/caps I got ... so there's a distinct possibility its not even of military origin; although I believe it was found at a former military site.

    Just figured I'll need advice on finds once I start detecting anyway, so I might as well start a thread with this as I'll use it again

    Hopefully someone might recognise what it is / for - whether military or not! - as its a somewhat distinctive serrated 'washer' / 'cap' with hole...

    'As found' condition PS. QR buckle is nothing to do with it, I just left it in the picture for some scale (larger type for belts - 2"?) :

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Edit: Adding composite picture of both faces after a scrub...

    On the left is what I consider the 'front'. On right, the 'rear' which you may just make out is not a flat surface either. So unlikely to work as a washer / spacer! Neither would it make a good 'cog', despite the serrations. It is similar to the handle on a stop tap but the central hole seems far too large for that? Possibly some sort of dial / control?

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests
    Was going to say the clip looks like PLCE bit to me, the other thing I have no idea.

  5. #5

    Question Item Identification

    Noting the section 'sticky', I confirm that I have permission to search on all sites I go to...

    I am really struggling with these first two … no markings discovered & yet to recognise anything that looks similar!

    Both were found within a couple of hundred square yards on the 'domestic' part of an RAF Station which was later used by both Army & RAF (where these were found was most recently Army accommodation area - now all demolished & turned to 'grassland')

    'Bump' of first item I posted for ID:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Since starting to detect there myself, I've found another unknown item:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests
    (sorry but that's as clean as I've been able to get it, without potentially damaging it, even after a couple of weeks in molasses)

    As I've said before, being from the 'domestic' area, there's a chance they are not even 'military' items but I'm not going to write them off as 'scrap' just yet!


    I think the next item is much more likely to have seen actual military use though. I found it way across the site (in some scrub near some of the aircraft hangars):
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Its approximately 6cm in diameter & made of ali. At first I thought "just the lid off a can" but signal had been clearly above the 'trash' range on my screen so I looked closer … glad I did as (although no obvious markings again) I'm sure it is a military item of some sort!

    Due to the punched hole, my first thoughts were a tool 'tally' or perhaps 'fob' for a bunch of keys. Lack of markings make those less likely however - certainly here would be some ID number for a 'tally'. Perhaps just designed to stop keys being taken off-site inadvertently in ones pocket (I've seen all sorts of large item used that way in Service)? Didn't work too well if so (note 'split' from hole)!

    I've tried to capture some 'marks' on the disc. Before cleaning, I thought they were characters … they clearly aren't though. Otherwise it seems to be have been perfectly flat originally, are they result of corrosion?

    I have had one other suggestion for identity (which makes some sense given it was found in an area which might have been used for 'fieldcraft' training etc), could I be a 'recognition marker'?

    … certainly during the Great War, reflective 'patches' were attached to soldiers' webbing to help identify their rate of advance to commanders behind (& move artillery barrage ahead etc). The site was not constructed until 1930s but maybe the idea endured beyond WW1 & this is a remnant of its use in training?

    Edit:

    The sort of thing seen in attached screen grab from the documentary "The Somme" (try to ignore No4 rifles masquerading as SMLEs - note cutdown 'pigsticker' adaptors )

    Any other ideas/thoughts on any of the items?
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests  
    Last edited by brickie501; 03-22-2019 at 12:00 PM.

  6. #6

    Question

    'Bump'...

    I'm still struggling to ID these items ^^^^^

    Anyone have any ideas:

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

  7. #7

    Default

    The top two items look like some sort of chain tensioning wheels, but from what, I have no idea.

  8. #8

    Default

    Another 'Bump'...

    Still at a bit of a loss over all three items above!

    However, I randomly spotted this online today:
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests (courtesy The Westminster Collection)


    While it happens to be a similar diameter, my find is (unfortunately!) not a silver C$25 coin. Similarly, while those are much smaller, Old Pennies appear to have been turned into miniature Brodie helmets too. Could this have been a similar 'commemorative' / Trench Art item?
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

    Any thoughts? Could I be on to something?

  9. #9

    Question Unknown Find - Seeking ID Suggestions / Help

    I have discovered yet another unknown item!

    Not dug & (again) not necessarily military but found in an old chest of drawers of stuff my grandfather had hoarded; alongside some military items such as a British kit bag lock & tools.

    I do not recognise it & cannot find any markings. However, there are many people on here with great experience of looking at all sorts of items so I am hoping maybe somebody will recognise it.

    Many thanks in advance for any assistance that anyone has to offer

    I have made a 'composite' picture showing both sides. As you may notice, the flat 'spring' / strip is mounted to one side & has a noticeable 'hook' at the end (which may be broken off?). The item is shown next to a regular sized 'PostIt note' for scale - sorry, I didn't have anything else recognisable to hand!
    Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests

  10. #10

    Default

    I think your mystery item could be a cutout from an alloy sheet, you drill a hole (as per the red line) and it gives you a "starter"
    hole to pass a thin cutting blade through, and you carefully cut out the circle. There is a rat tail type saw...the correct name
    eludes me ..
    Cheers Mike
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Battlefield & Military Site Finds & Identification Requests  

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