2" British mortar lanyard

[Gil Boyd]

Each Rifle Company of 2 and 3 PARA in the Falklands had 10 rounds per Mortar 3 Mortars per Company ie one per Platoon. HE & PARA illum.
The 2" Mortar was withdrawn from 16 PARA Brigade/5Airborne Brigade latterly in 1994, so one has to assume that applied to all British Army Infantry Battalions.

[Peter Laidler]

1982...... Are you sure they weren't using the 51 by then Gil? Shrivenham are coming back to me re obsolescent date for 2" mortar HE.

So said, 51mm para/smoke ammo could be used with the 2" mortar or vice verca but NOT the other way around. But NOT HE either way round!

[Gil Boyd]

As certain as one can be

[Peter Laidler]

Wait out on this because some info is coming to light but we know the last date of manufacture of HE at ROF G. And it was WELL before '82

[Topfmine]

Did you see the BOCN link about the HE rounds, what did you think. I was wondering did we manufacture rounds for overseas country's even after we stopped using the 2" mortar.

[Peter Laidler]

No. Production of 2" HE ceased in the UK in 3/69 at Glascoed

[Topfmine]

If you look on the BOCN forum link the 2" mortar destroyed at Otterburn was dated 6/69 the tail fin was dated 11/61 Glascoed marked.

[Peter Laidler]

Ok....., OK..... 3/69 - 6/69 - 11/69!!!!!!! What is BOCN? My dictionary says that it is the British Oil and Cattle Nutrition standard (for animal feeds.....)

[Vincent]

He's referring to the British Ordnance Collectors Network forums

Inert Ordnance Collectors

[Peter Laidler]

Ah....., so my cattle food was not quite correct. But close!!!!! The Ord Officer who oversaw the destriction of the last 2" HE tells me that the last batch of HE was G-D B-16967 dated 6/69. TNT filled with a No161 Mk4 1/69 dated fuze. All that mumbo-jumbo is totally above my head but if that's what the official records say, then that's fair enough to me I say!