1939 British 40mm Case

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

I acquired a 1939 British 40mm Bofors (?) case today at the local car boot sale for 5. The markings are as follows and I wonder if anyone could give me some more information?

Case:
40M/M I
RLB
1939 CF
LOT 256

Primer:
1940
783
CY10-40
No18
I

In particular I'm interested in its most likely usage and the type of projectile it would have most likely had? I must admit I've allowed myself some 'fired on an RAF base during the Battle of Britain' type fantasies.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

Cheers,

Mark

PS. I also acquired an undamaged (possibly unfired) 1917 British No.101 fuse for 4 from the same seller.

 

[Fuzeman]

The most likely weapon was the Bofors Light Anti aircraft gun , which were widely used during the Battle of Britain and manned by the Royal Artillery and the RAF regiment , to defend the airfields.

 

[peregrinvs]

Thanks. Out of interest, what year did the 40mm Bofors officially go into British service? I was also wondering if a 1939 dated case is relatively uncommon?

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Quatermass]

The Ordnance Q.F. 40mm., Mk I (Bofors) were first purchased by the War Office on 23 April 1937. I hava a handbook for the gun dated June 1938.

A 1939 dated case is not common but by no means rare.

In reference to an earlier post the RAF reigiment wasn't formed untill 1942 so before that date the only users would have been the RA (and the RN).

The most likely projectile in the period would have been the HE MkI T, AP and other projectiles were introduced later in the guns service life.