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A couple of interesting ones for TimG

Darkman

Well-Known Member
Open for anyone to identify, but thought these might interest TimG.

I saw this 18 Pr Mk II* case yesterday (cut down into an ashtray). Besides being converted to a Mk II* case by RL, down near the manufacture year there’s a L in a circle. Not a stamp I’ve seen before?

Next an 18 Pr Mk V shell dated 1915 with an interesting maker suffix I’ve not seen before - VSM.E - what does the E signify?

Cheers, Graeme
 

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Graeme,

Thank you.

The encircled 'L' denotes special mouth annealing for fixed ammunition. Originally introduced for 'necked' cases and subsequently extended to 'coned' cases.

I don't know the significance of the 'E.' However, it appears to have been stamped subsequent to VSM. VSM had numerous factories, so it might denote the particular facility. It might even denote the particular production line. LEC in Bognor Regis, manufactured shells in WWII (before they made refrigerators) had different monograms for the day and night shifts.

TimG
 
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Thanks Tim!

I imagine VSM had quite a few factories.

I recall a VSM.A stamp or something similar. Where VSM had purchased the Austin car company in 1905ish (or something like that).
 
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