C238 1944

[BruceLee230]

Added another wartime ammo box to the collection. From a local reclamation yard that i'd had two previously from in the last few years and knew this was there so took the plunge.
It was on the floor with other containers on top and full of tiles so after it was extricated he wanted £15, I offered £10, he accepted and inside must have thinking, 'Yes, I've sold it!'



On the lid is embossed R.T. MP.C238 I 1944. It's been painted a horrible matt black but the inside is original brown. There were wooden battens screwed into both ends at the bottom and at one time one full length on the bottom and lid. It's only these holes that has caused rust in the inside. The front has remnants of yellow and I can see the raised letters of stenciling so with a little thinner I might be able to unveil these and find out what was packed and when. I've got an idea from another forum.

Not the first C238,



This I repainted nearly ten years ago. Manufactured by Pressed Steel Co., of Cowley, Oxford. This image is from Graces Guide.

I'll post an update to show what I might find.

 

[BruceLee230]

Just spent an hour or so using thinners to remove the black paint. I have tried this before and the yellow paint for the lettering is quite thick and resilient.



First photo shows the front which reads '12 FLARES', 'BR' top right, 'LOT 988A 8/44' at the bottom. The rest had gone. Top left uncovered 'FILLED' in red. There's also the remnants of tape top right on the second photo.

When I started on the back it was like a Howard Carter moment revealing all the text:-

12 FLARES
TRIPWIRE MK.1 12
SPOOLS 12 ARMS
IN 12 CONTAINERS
NO 204 24 PICKETS

Also has the same text mentioned as of the front. The letters are 3/4 inch.

The ends revealed '12 FLARES TRIPWIRE' at the top and 'LOT 988A' on the bottom left. These letters are 1/2 inch.

Anyone know what 'BR' could stand for and what the items listed looked like.

Interesting that it seems every letter was individually stenciled.

The yellow letters actually remained as the brown paint around them rubbed off revealing bare metal. There's no primer so just a thin coat of brown.

So that grubby looking box that no one has looked twice at for years turns out to be one of my best finds.

I plan to keep as much stenciling as possible and repaint the brown on the outside and touch up the inside. Need to weld a few holes as well.

Love to know where this has been all these years.

 

[TimG]

Box made by -
R.T. - Rowntree and Co., Ltd. (Chocolate manufacturers.) The Cocoa works, Haxby Road, York. “ Rowntree, York” TH 2071 & Arcade Chambers, 89 Corporation Street. (Central 5732) & Birmingham Depot: 89 Tyburn Road, Erdington (East 0723)

Filled BR - ROF Bridgend, Wales.

TimG

 

[BruceLee230]

Thanks for that Tim.

The letters MP. also on the lid, are these a manufacturer? I have a P59 box with MPB stamped into it. I know about Metal Box but don't think it's them.

 

[AE501]

This is in fact a Box Steel C238A, which has always been the dedicated package for Flares Tripwire having internal fitments specifically designed take that flare. The package was modified to 'A' standard from the start (see lid) by the addition of an 'A'. I do not know what any previous C238 was used for.
The flare went from Mk1, which was shorter, to Mk 2 and 2/1 and the Mk 2/1 was still in service at least into the 1980s.
At the bottom of the photo are two pickets taped together, one for the flare pot and the other for the tripwire from the flare to connect to. The pointed end goes in the ground up to the cross bar and the flare drops in the U shape top end.
You may choose to connect the end opposite to the flare to a tree/bush, but whatever you connect to must be solid, because these are diabolical to set up and require a lot of training.
The end of the striker (very similar to that of the early Grenade Hand No.5) is held in the centre of a plate which has two holes side by side, in a figure of 8, with a projecting tongue between.
The striker head is held on the tongues between the holes. This means that if you trip it the striker goes down through a hole and fires the flare, equally if you cut the wire to disarm it, a tensioned spring pulls the striker to the other hole with the same result.

 

[ron3350]

Photos of Flare Trip Wire Mk 2/1 and a blue painted practice flare. Both inert.
You seldom see the internal parts. I split the flare card tube and replaced the compound with a wooden block.
There was ignition compound and a quick match at the bottom. My picket is painted green.

 

[AE501]

A picture tells a thousand words.
Your last picture so accurately describes the figure 8 and the picket should be deep bronze green.

 

[BruceLee230]

From warrelics.eu I found this:

C2386 pdr. 7cwt. gun A.P. Holding 4 rounds. The gross weight is 90lbs
C2387.2in howitzer Cartridges 23lb.NH Holding 1 round. Gross weight55lbs
C238Generators Smoke No 18 Holding 8 rounds. Gross weight 73 lbs
C238CW Ammunition ML 8in Generators Smoke No 20. Holding 8 rounds 73lbs

C238I18pr QF gun AP shot 4 Rounds, 131 lbs
C238A75mm QF gun British AP Mk I, TF 4 rounds 90lbs​

 

[BruceLee230]

Trying to remove the black paint and spotted a stamped WD arrow by the LOT number on the front middle bottom of the box and has 75D above it. Never noticed a stamp on the other ammo boxes I have.