A little treasure from Epay

[Roger Payne]

Cinders, it's only anecdotal from a relatively small number of No36's I've seen or owned over the years, but the filler plugs (for the main bursting charge, not the base plugs) are usually brass (or possibly on occasions steel) on WW1 examples, but are often made of what looks to be either mazak or aluminium on WW2 production.

[newcastle]

Sorry but back ot teh sight. What identified this as a trials sight? is it the graduations or scale numbering?

[Roger Payne]

The bottom is different to the standard run of production as it has a slightly different method of pivoting. The Trials examples are also EFD marked. Range grads are the same as usual, but early sights have a 4 click adjusting screw & later are 6 click.

[bigduke6]

The practice Mills Bomb I got into trouble with when I took it to school was light grey. The trouble was 'Nothing' compared to what it would be if done today!

Hmmmm, I took in all sorts when at school, stuff I knew then was safe, but do remember a head teacher rambling on about stuff found on Moors and Hills etc (I was in Cumbria at the Last years of Secondary) in assembly and how we should report it and not bring it home or bring it to school.... It turned out one lad had found a 2" Mortar ( Smoke) not live but it it did cause a panic when some bird grassed him up.... I did tell him when we unearthed it with my metal detector don't take it to school......

I was taking all kinds in at the time, bayonets, inert grenades, replica 1911 ... the list is endless, today I wouldn't even get near the school gate...... probably wouldn't make it on the bus, maybe at the time thats why I never got any where with Christine T**** ....

[CINDERS]

Yes we were doing a drive you around the boonies and drop you off in a fully canvassed up truck then find your way home via compass and land marks. Anyway we were going well and came across the mortar range at Northam Barracks it was a bit spinny traipsing around over the ground heading towards camp. All of a sudden Brian D**********ng picked up a 2" dud Mortar round FAFFING HELL 6 (Damn sure it had a red band about 2 inches from the fuse) of us legged it as fast as we could leaving Brian to bring up the rear. He hid that bloody thing in a cistern then brought it back to Perth hidden in his kit bag.
I friggin was nearly on the bus drivers lap and Brian was made by us to sit way at the back of the bus but that was hell that trip............

[Charlie303]

A while ago, about 50 years, I was with my Dad as we crossed Salisbury Plain, off on holiday. We stopped in a lay-by on the A303 for a break and I spotted the above lying in the grass. My Dad, ex RA (on mortars in WW2) reckoned it was safe enough - we could see that it was empty, but we took it to the Royal Marines at Lympstone who confirmed that it was a smoke round, and let us keep it. I bet they wouldn't do that now!

I don't know anything much about it, so if someone has the knowledge, I'd be interested to know more about it.

Charlie

[browningautorifle]

80mm Mortar Round

It would be an 81m or 3" mortar...with a time fuze on it. How did your dad know it was safe in the first place? Was it in two parts then? The tail fins separate? Don't just tell me again it's because he was a mortarman, I'm also a mortarman...

[Charlie303]

Hi Jim,

Yes, it was in two halves, tail fins separate and he could see that it was empty.

Do the numbers mean anything to you? BN 390 Mk 5. The coloured band (green? Yellow?) does it signify anything?

Thanks,

Charlie

[browningautorifle]

Here's a site that deals with specifics. We just set them and had a working knowledge of their operations... British Fuzes - Ammunition Pages

Yes, colors are use to identify ammo. You'll find markings there too.

[303 Collector]

Got the 81 mm mortar.