What's new
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!

Artillery round manufacturers

H

hangarman

Well-Known Member
I am trying to figure out if F21 is an Ammunition plant. I have been studying 18pr ammunition boxes. VSM (Vickers son & Maxim) COW (Coventry Ordnance Works) are stencilled on most of the boxes but a couple have F21 stencilled on and I wondered if it was a Munitions factory number or code. Can anyone assist with my quest?
Cheers
Gary
 
Hi Gary,

Now, looking in my Doc, I found a manufacturor's code mixing letter and number and beginning with a F :

FA B11 : Frankford arsenal, Philadelphia, PA, USA - Berdan primer

That can let think that the mixing of letter and numbers can be a manufacturor's code. So far, I've never seen or heard a British code thus formed but it's not impossible !
American track is also possible.


Yoda
 
Gary,

Have you an image of a box so marked you could post? F and a number would normally be a Filling Factory code, but I don't think they got as high as 21.

TimG
 
photo (10).JPG

Hi Tim,
Here is a picture of the box.

My guesses are:
F21 Factory number?
80VI Fuze no 80 Mk 6
C Cordite??
G2211 Lot number
XXIV Batch number
Black disc ? Shrapnel ?

Any input gratefully received

Cheers

Gary
 
Gary,

Have you images of the end of the box and the lettering prior to the first 80?.

For HE & shrapnel the box should have been stained brown.

The solid disc if it were blue would denote the fuze having a delay element.

The F21 certainly suggests Filling Factory 21 - but apparently the factories did go that high. The '2' does seem to be improvised.

Regards

Tim
 
Hi Tim,
There is nothing in front of the first 80, its right at the end of the box. The end of the box has F5 2,7, 18 What do you know about NFF 21 Foleshill in Coventry, owned by white and poppe? Could it be F21 see link http://www.airfieldinformationexcha...Ministry-of-Munitions-and-Munitions-Factories Could the F21 refer to the fuze filling factory and not the shell filling factory? Could the F5 be the shell filling factory? Were the HE and Shrapnel boxes stained any particular shade of brown, Vandyck maybe? One thing I don't understand is there is no reference to 18 pr .
Enough questions for now!
Cheers
Gary
 
Gary,

Apparently, the fuze maker's monogram should proceed the fuze number. The filling factory details follow the fuze number.

Evidently the numbers did go that high! What is strange is that some have two numbers. I can only imagine that it was to differentiate between different stores, for arguments sake filling of cartridge cases and fuze filling.

Snufkin has done alot of work on WWI manfacturers - he might be able to shed some light on this.

Apparently, the F5 2,7,18 denotes the shell was filled and fuzed by F5 on 2nd July 1918

TimG

View attachment extract.pdfView attachment extract2.pdf
 
Hi Tim,
Great info!
The box has a big C on both sides so that is for Cordite
G2211 is the lot number for the propellant
XXIV numeral of cartridge
So , my deduction is the fuze is made by F21 and filled by F21.......


Dare I ask what manual you have taken the info from??????and the date of publication?

Cheers

Gary
 
Gary,

I'll email you a copy of the publication later. Forgot to look at that one.

TimG
 
F21 denotes National Filling Factory 21, Coventry - initially set up in the summer of 1915 for filling of graze fuzes (No.100). Initially it was designated F10.

During autumn-winter of 1916-17, many prematures were reported from France, a large proportion being projectiles fuzed with fuzes from this factory, F10. Fuze and gaine filling was halted at the end of December 1916, the factory completely reorganized, and filling restarted in February 1917. The factory number was then changed to F21, as ammunition in packaging marked F10 was not trusted by the gunners in the field.

The factory filled over 2 million No.80 of various marks during the war.




Tom.
 
Snufkin said:
F21 denotes National Filling Factory 21, Coventry - initially set up in the summer of 1915 for filling of graze fuzes (No.100). Initially it was designated F10.

During autumn-winter of 1916-17, many prematures were reported from France, a large proportion being projectiles fuzed with fuzes from this factory, F10. Fuze and gaine filling was halted at the end of December 1916, the factory completely reorganized, and filling restarted in February 1917. The factory number was then changed to F21, as ammunition in packaging marked F10 was not trusted by the gunners in the field.

The factory filled over 2 million No.80 of various marks during the war.




Tom.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom, Great bit of information.

Cheers Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top