BIG Canadian Fixed Shell - with 208 fuze

[GregN]

Hi all, just brought this home (the wife was NOT amused). I initially thought it was Naval as it's approximately 4 feet in length. It has been "lamped" and I think the fuse has been fired as there are no internal parts and nothing moves. The fuse is a no208 which I believe is a timed AA type. I found a C -> so it's Canadian military property but I've never seen such a big fixed round before. There are three big bolts holding the casing to the base, I'll work on those tomorrow. In the meantime, anyone have a guess at what this is?

Thanks in advance,

Greg

 

[hangarman]

3.7 Probert ? http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/4309-3-7-inch-AA-Mk6-Probert

 

[GregN]

Thanks Hangerman, Do happen to know if Canada made these for the UK? I'll have to look and see if Canada used these for shore defence. Are these considered rare.

Greg

 

[Gspragge]

I think this is a hard to find type. What markings are on the projectile, that should tell a lot. It is for an Anti Aircraft gun.
But not many were made to fire this projectile and it might be post ww2. If we had these it would be on either coast.

 

[GregN]

Hi Guys, I finally had some free time to take the shell off the base. the head stamp is: 3-7" Mk VI GUN, 1 LOT 529, ICI S, 1944.
The projectile is marked: 3/7 G, HTO, NCF OT 2 10 42 (over stamped with a 0?) There is also a C broad arrow. I added a
NCR/C 221B MK4 fuse as the 208IBW 1944 had been fired and the Bakelite ogive was damaged. I'm not sure it's the right fuze but it sure looks better.

The whole round is quite impressive, the round being 4ft 2 in long. BTW the 36 is just for scale

Cheers,

Greg

 

[SG500]

Thanks Hangerman, Do happen to know if Canada made these for the UK? I'll have to look and see if Canada used these for shore defence. Are these considered rare.

Greg

Hi Greg very nice find. Considering how many were fired over here very few of them seem to have survived, you have yourself a rare round there.
Interesting variation on the forward bands. On yours they are continuous, on the ones on the link that hangarman sent they are profiled.
My wife wasn't too happy when I arrived home with my mk 6 either........oh well......
Dave.

 

[Darkman]

Makes me think that NCF is indeed a Canadian manufacturer.

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/91541-Maker-s-monogram-N-C-F-on-WW2-3-7-IN-HE-AA-shell

 

[GregN]

Thanks Darkman, I added a image of the C Broad Arrow. Apologies on the images of the head stamp, they're pretty terrible.

 

[AE501]

I have just looked at one and that is the genuine article, apart from which I inspected hundreds if not thousands of them in 1957 - 8

 

[AE501]

I will just add that it was thousands of Mk 1 - 3 gun that I looked at. I only looked at hundreds of these, but it was the Mk 6 that I just looked at with the probert rifling. When the enemy started using oxygen and got above 26,000 feet the Mk 1 - 3 would not go high enough. These came packed with one round in a long wooden box, but the Mk 1 - 3 gun came with two in a steel box. All were fitted with with Fuze Time Mechanical No 208 or 213. Most of the Mk 1 - 3 gun 208s had a black bakelite dome.

 

[AE501]

Here is one I prepared earlier.

 

[GregN]

Thanks for the info AE501, particularly the fuze info. I'll leave the 211 in place until I find a 208 or 213 to replace it.

Greg

 

[TimG]

The Stabilising/Centring bands appear unfinished - other projectiles for the Mk 6 gun that I have seen, the bands have a number of flat faces around the circumference. Unless this was an early mark.

The case was made by ICI Swansea
The fuze which is a 208 Mk I - Barber Wilson, London, N22 (I believe)
Notwithstanding the Canadian acceptance stamp, I believe New Crown Forgings made the projectile. NCF were prolific manufacturers of shell making some 57 million projectiles during WWII.

TimG

 

[AE501]

I am glad TimG said that because there was no Fuze 211 accepted into Land Service

 

[AE501]

I have tried to magnify the original photo and you can make out that the 3.7 Mk 6 gun proj I posted has flats.
This is as far as I could go without it pixilating(?)