Has anyone got a list of tins in British service -H83 etc - when they entered service, and which types ammo they're indicated for? cheers 
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British ammo tins
- Thread starter batonroundcollector
- Start date
Dear Batonroundcollector,
Interesting challenge. Years ago the Army Cataloguing Authority (ACA) (at Woolwich) would have allocated the nomenclature for Land Service ammunition boxes and would have, in some form or other, maintained records of boxes and their approved contents. When Woolwich closed down I think it likely that historical records of obsolete ammunition were discarded.
The alphabetic box concept ( B=Bombs, P=Projectiles etc.) with each letter having very many numbers and marks, with several packing schemes resulted in many thousands of 'serials'. I doubt access is possible to the 'lists' if they are still around. However all is not lost, up until 1965 'Lists of Changes' would normally be the place where a new piece of ammunition packaging was introduced into Service.
In the 1920s a number of LoC entries cover ammunition packaging in the form you are after (or pretty close). Box series P, B, C and Cylinders are examples of comprehensive lists. Some of these LoC paragraphs are (I believe) documented in preparation for the RAF establishing their own maintenance units for ammunition storage, and armament technicians in about 1926 (hitherto tasks performed by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps).
Lists of Changes can be found at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Interesting challenge. Years ago the Army Cataloguing Authority (ACA) (at Woolwich) would have allocated the nomenclature for Land Service ammunition boxes and would have, in some form or other, maintained records of boxes and their approved contents. When Woolwich closed down I think it likely that historical records of obsolete ammunition were discarded.
The alphabetic box concept ( B=Bombs, P=Projectiles etc.) with each letter having very many numbers and marks, with several packing schemes resulted in many thousands of 'serials'. I doubt access is possible to the 'lists' if they are still around. However all is not lost, up until 1965 'Lists of Changes' would normally be the place where a new piece of ammunition packaging was introduced into Service.
In the 1920s a number of LoC entries cover ammunition packaging in the form you are after (or pretty close). Box series P, B, C and Cylinders are examples of comprehensive lists. Some of these LoC paragraphs are (I believe) documented in preparation for the RAF establishing their own maintenance units for ammunition storage, and armament technicians in about 1926 (hitherto tasks performed by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps).
Lists of Changes can be found at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Here is an example of entries in List of Changes. It is just from one ' LoC Paragraph' which comprises 132 pages showing the complete run of 'C' series ammunition boxes at the time (1925).
The images show the last page and a few pages at the beginning.
The images show the last page and a few pages at the beginning.
Has anyone got a list of tins in British service -H83 etc - when they entered service, and which types ammo they're indicated for? cheers
Have you checked the "Consolidated List?" in the Packaging sub-forum? It's only a tiny slice of the info you requested, it would be a lifetimes work to compile it all.
I should clarify that I meant currently in service I was thinking of the kinds of tins in which MG belts and grenades etc are delivered/stored.
I was thinking of the kinds of tins in which MG belts and grenades etc are delivered/stored.