British Ordnance Collectors Network
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
25pdr chemical
- Thread starter spotter
- Start date
Nicely done Allan
Nice one Allan,
Glad to see a nice piece of history restored!!
Pete
Glad to see a nice piece of history restored!!
Pete
thanks for the compliments guys,,sorry dave but i cant comment on what was in this one.
but it has been repainted as mustard
Dave,
Knowing the history of this item it was either filled with mustard or Bromobenzyl cyanide.
Pete
Knowing the history of this item it was either filled with mustard or Bromobenzyl cyanide.
Pete
Hi Pete thanks for the information ,its very difficult to find details on British WW2 chemical weapons and even WW1 weapons arent covered very well[The most useful book ive found so far is a Osprey title World War 1 Gas Warfare Tactics and Equipment , ISBN 9781846031519]
I prefer french as its not as harsh as English and the American is too much for McDonalds. Mind you I'd prefer tomato ketchup....
DWS Notes on ammunition Issue No 7A, printed April 1943 gives some information on ammunition types and their fillings but generally only referring to the fillings by code letters and numbers, eg Y3. Some information gives fillings as `blister' but most do not. The document is more concerned with safety, inspection, repair and disposal of stocks in storage. It brings home the point that light cased chemical warfare (CW) ammunition was prone to internal pressure build-up and could therefore present as much a hazard to the storer and user as to an enemy. Also that chemical degradation in light and heavy cased ammo would over time render fillings less effective. That did not prevent a colleague being burned by mustard gas from a WW1 18 Pr shell he attempted to destroy in a Kent quarry in the 1980s. When I joined in 1978 there was still an ammo & explosives regs (A&ER) pamphlet that detailed venting of Y3 stocks. During my service that was detailed as obsolete and I believe the Y3, presumably blister agent, was destroyed. XT
AmmotechXT - Regarding the breakdown of CW agent, we opened a number of 4.2" mortars filled with mustard a few years ago and the mustard was in excess of 80% intact. I.e hardly any degredation at all.
Here's some pictures of the Y3 containers mentioned earlier in this thread.
All the UK's old chemical weapons were destroyed by 2007, but that doesn't take into account the items that are found/recovered every week around the UK. These are destroyed as and when they're found.
- Y3 Container inside the A4 box, the container contained 1 litre of mustard.
- Y3 Container removed from the box, the opening and pouring tools are visible in the lid of the box. The container was surrounded by charcoal to absorb any spills
- View into the box showing the Y3 container surrounded by charcoal.
Enjoy
Here's some pictures of the Y3 containers mentioned earlier in this thread.
All the UK's old chemical weapons were destroyed by 2007, but that doesn't take into account the items that are found/recovered every week around the UK. These are destroyed as and when they're found.
- Y3 Container inside the A4 box, the container contained 1 litre of mustard. - Y3 Container removed from the box, the opening and pouring tools are visible in the lid of the box. The container was surrounded by charcoal to absorb any spills - View into the box showing the Y3 container surrounded by charcoal.Enjoy
That's a tough question, the UK stopped their offensive CW program in 1956. As to when they stopped production of mustard i don't know. They can still produce mustard in limited quantites for purposes not prohibited under the chemical weapons convention should they wish to.
I was at the presentation of this achievement and in-fact in the picture of a goon suited person. Please READ the text to get the full picture.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives....tesdestructionofoldchemicalweaponholdings.htm
http://webarchive.nationalarchives....tesdestructionofoldchemicalweaponholdings.htm