WW2 disposal site - Very unusual relics recovered.

Hi All

Sunday 29th November saw myself and members of the RRPG digging a site that I had dug before, (on my own), but this time I had organised permission for the group to attend. Unfortunately it was too short notice for some, but those that did attend had some great finds. This permission is land that was used at the end of the war to dispose of large amounts of ordnance. When I say dispose, I mean 'blow-the-crap-out-of'! Basically, we have learnt that, at the end of the war, the ordnance left at all the local ammo dumps was gathered in one location. Once a day for two weeks, large portions of this stock was placed in a deep pit and blown up, in the traditional 1940s method of recycling. It is the site of these disposals where we were searching, and the finds were plentiful! Some great relics, and ones that I didn't have examples of in my collection, so it was a great day!

No before cleaning shots today, just after.....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...mpzaxr36-1.jpg

Fuzes from the Mk V British anti-tank mine. No 3's and one No 2 (bottom middle).

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...vbesf2c4-1.jpg

Markings on the edge of the fuzes show a lovely date.....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...yllumt1s-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...pimxxh56-1.jpg

Tile breaker off a British 4lb incendiary bomb. Incendiary bombs were useless if they landed on a roof as they wouldn't set fire to the house, so they attached this solid iron 'tile breaker'. The bomb hits the roof, smashes through the tiles, (hence 'tile breaker'), and sets fire to the house.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ffp91zic-1.jpg

Bottom off a 20mm Oerlikon cartridge

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...lqe8ozgx-1.jpg

Booster tubes and one complete booster. These are used to set off large calibre artillery shells. A standard blast cap isn't enough, so the blast cap set off the booster, which then set off the main charge.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...zjmsefrl-1.jpg

Markings on the booster, showing it to be a No 11 :)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...iohx3m8u-1.jpg

Evidence of the explosions. These are the bottoms of 40mm cartridge cases. We found hundreds of pieces of shell case over the whole area, but these are the only identifiable bits.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...dqqhc6kg-1.jpg

Markings on the 40mm bases....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...faslanr3-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6xkvh1cn-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sgamsjpc-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...za6hdxdz-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ainrtryf-1.jpg

Lastly, two PDF M111A fuzes from artillery shells. A very unusual fuze

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...h0brgnmn-1.jpg

Hope you like the finds :)

RRPG

Very interesting, thank you for posting. How did clean your recoveries? Was there any safety concern about intact ordinance and detonation?

Hi Jsmosby. Firstly, many thanks for replying! After 50+ views I was beginning to wonder if the pictures I'd posted were showing!

Cleaned with hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush, then a wire brush attachment on my electric pillar drill. We were wary of unexploded ordnance and did find one or two bits that were suspect, but all proved to be harmless. When you put large amounts of ordnance in a hole and blow it up, there is little chance of anything live surviving.

You're doing a great job and most enjoyable too RRPG but not quite sure if I'd agree with your last line there! Depends on how it's done. From Gulf 1 experience, the large stuff explodes like there's no tomorrow but the small stuff in the destruction pit, such as small arms ammo etc etc just gets thrown for miles - intact! In a fire pit it seems to pop and splutter until it's all gone. But takes an age.......

Bombdoc and RoyW will comment.

I see your point Peter and we have strict rules when detecting the area. Anything that looks at all suspicious is carefully exposed and identified.

We have a rule in my group that is stuck too religiously. 'If you can't be 100% sure (and I mean 100%, not 95%), that what you're digging is safe, you stop digging and call the authorities'. In 20+ years of digging nothing but WW2 relics, it has kept me and my group members safe and is always adhered to.

We have found the bottom of 20mm Oerlikon cartridges, so it is safe to assume the HE projectiles are around somewhere. We've not found any yet, but everyone anticipates the day they first show themselves. Nasty little buggers........

How do you obtain permission to dig these sites?

thanks for sharing

C&R Poor - This site I actually tag along with a metal detecting club that have permission on this land. I have been helping them ID military finds so it's a way of saying thank you :) Plus, myself and my group members clear all the 'military crap' (as the MD club members like to call it), from the site, which then enables them to find the deeper medieval/Roman/iron age relics. All other sites I get permission myself, which I do by presenting myself in person to the landowner, (smartly dressed, even in a business suit sometimes!), and explain who I am and what I do. I find this works far FAR better than emails or phone calls.

mmppres - Thanks. My pleasure :)