275 Spigot Mortar / Blacker Bombard Practice Rounds found

[roller63]

Just found this article from last year, makes interesting reading !

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/9196724.Hundreds_of_mortars_are_found_buried_in_woodland/


Tony.

 

[khanmak]

Fascinating! Wonder if they were un-fired or "overshoots" from a practice range? Interesting none have tail fins attached.

 

[spotter]

found many of these over the years but never one with complete fins only the occasional partial as they are so thin they rot away

 

[kz11gr]

An original Spigot Mortar at Tilbury Fort in Essex situated in a 6 inch gun emplacement.
The curved steel armour plate behind the barrel was to protect the gun crew
from the consequences of firing it.
Photo by: David Tabner

 

[millsbomber]

Having found a Home Guard Dump many years ago i also noticed most did not have the fins attached but the fins were in the hole as well, badly rotted as spotter says, i think when thy hit the ground it usually ripped the cir-clip off the shaft holding the tails on, if any one fancies a challenge the sectioned HE example with all the bits for the head is up for sale,,,,, Dave

 

[Matt W]

I think the estate was used for storage as part of 33ASD, might be related to that.

 

[kz11gr]

Just found this article from last year, makes interesting reading !

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/9196724.Hundreds_of_mortars_are_found_buried_in_woodland/


Tony.

Hello

I just show (if the link disappears)

Hundreds of mortars are found buried in woodland

​

By Mark Foster

Tuesday 16th August 2011​

DEADLY secrets of an estates wartime past have been uncovered in a major operation by bomb disposal experts.
Hundreds of anti-tank and anti-personnel rounds were recovered from woodland on the Castle Howard estate, near Malton, North Yorkshire.
The practice ordnance contained only tiny amounts of explosive and was not particularly
dangerous, but has shed new light on the areas role in the Second World War.
The Royal Engineers unit was deployed in the woodland, near Welburn, after the ammunition
was first sighted on Friday.

They discovered 275 Blacker Bombard rounds buried in the undergrowth.
Also known as the 29mm Spigot Mortar, the Blacker Bombard was an infantry
anti-tank weapon devised by Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Blacker early in the war.
Although originally intended for use by regular Army units, it was issued to the Home Guard.

Bomb unit leader Sergeant Scott Docherty said: These practice rounds would have been used
for training purposes in readiness for a German invasion.
Given the hillside location of the find, it is likely that the spot was a Home Guard lookout station.
The training would have taken place there, and the ordnance most certainly just left behind.
Because these are practice rounds, they are not considered high risk.
However, each will contain a trace of explosive, so it is our task to safely remove and destroy them.
His team also dug up 18 con- By Mark Foster mark.foster@nne.co.uk
CAREFUL SEARCH: Bomb disposal experts at work on the Castle Howard estate
WOODLAND FIND: Dr Christopher Ridgeway with some of the Blacker Bombard rounds.
Below, soldiers take them away for disposal CUNNING PLOY: The fake anti-tank mines laid out the lure German invaders into a trap crete-filled dummy anti-tank mines, which had been laid out to direct invading
German tanks into the firing line of the Home Guard waiting on the hillside.
The discovery has been timely for Castle Howards curator, Dr Christopher Ridgway,
who is about to start research for a new exhibition about the castle during the war.
He said: Finding these unknown items is very exciting, but at the same time there are so many unknown stories from the locality that we are keen to tease them out in our preparatory research.
If anyone does have any recollections of Castle Howard and the estate in wartime,
I would be delighted if they got in touch.
Anyone with information is asked to email Dr Ridgeway at house@castlehoward.co.uk