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British 20mm manufacturers

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Orita

Member
- 20mm Oerlikon 'S' [20X110RB] and 20mm Hispano [20X110] rounds were manufactured in England during WW2. Unfortunately I don't have in my collection a British made 20mm Hispano [20X110] fired shell case, I only have a 20mm Oerlikon 'S' [20X110RB] headstamped "1942. RG OeZ" => I have a list of the British headstamp maker's mark for the 20mm Oerlikon 'S' [20X110RB] and 20mm Hispano [20X110] rounds and the companies that manufactured these 20mm shell cases. I would like to know if my list is complete and correct; if it isn't, please post below the corrections or what is missing. There is my list: ---> "RG" or /|\ a "single broad arrow" (Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green); ---> "ST" (Royal Ordnance Factory, Steeton & Thorpe Arch RH); ---> "RC" or "RCC" (Raleigh Cycle Co.); ---> "K" (Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. / ICI, Birmingham); ---> "K2" and "K3" (ICI Kynoch); ---> "BPF" (Unknown, 20mm Oerlikon 'S' only); ---> "WB" (Wilmot-Breeden, Birmingham, 20mm Oerlikon 'S' only); ---> "BBC" (Barking Brassware Co., 20mm Hispano only); ---> "BMARC(o)" (British Manufacturing & Research Co., 20mm Hispano only); ---> "GB" (Greenwood & Batley Ltd., 20mm Hispano only); ---> "H" (Hall's Telephone Co. Ltd., 20mm Hispano only); ---> "P & S" (Platers & Stampers Ltd., 20mm Hispano only); ---> "RH" ? (Raleigh Cycle Co., ?); ---> "JES" (After 1945, drill / inspection rounds ?). => Thanks in advance for any help, Orita 07/11/09
 
Liviu, here is a version of the list with additional information, and mistakes corrected.

/|\ or RG is , as you say, ROF Radway Green, Cheshire, England. After 1941 the use of the broad arrow was dropped and switched to the letters "RG".

ST is ROF Steeton, Steeton, West Yorkshire, ROF Thorp Arch was a different factory, I'm not sure if they ever made 20mm cases.

RC, RCC and RH are Raleigh Cycle Co., Carlton, Nottingham.

K is Kynoch Factories, Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., Birmingham, UK

K2 is Kynoch (I.C.I.), Standish, UK (1940-1944)

The headstamp "K3" was never used, and as far as I know, K4 and K5 never made 20mm Cases.

BPF Is Royal Ordnance Factory, Blackpole Worcestershire, UK

You are correct about WB

BBC is barking Brassware Co. Barking, Essex, UK

BMARC(o) Is British Manufacturing and Research Co., Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK

GB is Greenwood & Batley, Leeds, Yorkshire, UK

H is Hall's Telegraph Co., I'm not sure where they were located.

P&S Is platers & Stampes Ltd., I'm also not sure where they were located.

I'm also unsure about JES.

Maybe TonyE can provide some more answers.
 
ST - was the monogram for both ROF Steeton and ROF Thorp Arch. Thorp Arch also had the monogram of TH. I suspect the latter, was later.

K - I.C.I. (Kynoch) Witton, Birimingham.

K4 - I.C.I. (Kynoch) Yeading, Middx. (probably down the road from you Falcon)

K5 - I.C.I. (Kynoch) Kidderminster.

What they did at Yeading, I don�t know. But there was some involvement with 20mm. When the site was being redeveloped PeterG made a number of visits there to deal with 20mm projectiles that had been unearthed, I think they had even been used as hardcore.

BPF � I have to say none of my publications list this as a monogram for ROF Blackpole. But, I have found numerous monograms for both Blackpole and Blackburn and another one wouldn�t surprise me.

Regards

Tim. G.
 
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The yeading site is about 4 miles down the road from me. I investiagted a while ago to see if I could take the metal detector there, but it appears that the site has now all been built on. It would be good to see an old map with the site on so that I could get a better idea where it was.

If anyone can tell me exactly where the site was, and if there is any of it that is still public land, I would be interested.
 
- I mentioned above that the only one British made 20mm fired shell case I have, it is a 20X110RB brass case which is headstamped: "1942." (year of manufacture), "RG" (maker's mark, R.O.F. Radway Green, Cheshire) and "OeZ" (Oerlikon monogram "Oe" with N/C - nitrocellulose propellant "Z"). My picture showing these impressed headstamp markings will be posted below by "dano1917". ---> QUESTIONS: => A) Was my 20X110RB brass case also loaded and assembled at R.O.F. Radway Green or only the shell case was made there ????? => B) Is it possible to know for sure if my British made 20X110RB shell case was fired by the 20mm Oerlikon 'S' AA gun or by the 20mm Polsten AA gun ???? Looking to my fired shell case head and side, there are not clear deep markings left during the ejection and extraction process [there are some markings but very light]. => C) Is there any difference in the headstamp markings between the British made 20X110RB rounds used for the 20mm Oerlikon 'S' AA gun and the 20mm Polsten AA gun ????? Thanks in advance for any help, Orita 07/23/09
 
20mm H.S. headstamp.

R.O.F. Blackpole - factory no.20 only made components for 303 and 9mm.P . Have been to this plant and have factory plan it was very small in area. It used to be Govn. Cartridge Factory No.3 during WW1. Have more but will not bore you with it.
 
Falcon said:
The yeading site is about 4 miles down the road from me. I investiagted a while ago to see if I could take the metal detector there, but it appears that the site has now all been built on. It would be good to see an old map with the site on so that I could get a better idea where it was.

If anyone can tell me exactly where the site was, and if there is any of it that is still public land, I would be interested.
Click to expand...

Have a look at the Hillingdon forum -http://hillingdon.middx.net/frameforum.htm
I use to live on Yeading Lane myself and remember playing in the area when it was being developed, always wanted to know why they had so many pillboxes in the area, now i know!

ps Forgot to mention its under the 'memories' section!
 
20mm Headstamps

ROF Steeton used 3 "broad arrows" as its headstamp before changing to the "ST" mark, but cases with this marking seem to be quite scarce.
R.
 
Swagger Stick Royal Artillery

I have aquired this week a 33in. lg stick bamboo style layered with vertical streaks dark brown over yellow or light brown. I am not sure what type of bamboo this would be! However, the handle at top is fitted with a 20x110mm brass 20mm Oerlikon cartridge marked 'BPF and 1941 Oe Z'. BPF I understand was the ROF factory at Blackpole Worcs and Z identifies the propellant type. Is this correct?
 
FNB is Fabrique Nationale Herstal, Herstal, Belgium. The "Oe" means that this cartridge is one of the Oerlikon series of cartridges.
 
20x110 oerlikon ST ZeO 1943

Couple of ST OeZ 1943 head stamps,
the projectiles have a red primer rust Inhibitor until i restore them because of pitting,
left on is H.E/INCEDIARY/TRACER and right H.E INCENDIARY .
 
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