Colour of 25pr Propaganda Shell WW2

[Buster]

The attached image shows soldiers loading propaganda leaflets into 25pr base ejection shell. My questions are:

What was the basic body colour of these shell?

Were they supplied as specific shell or were they just modified smoke BE which could be easily disassembled?

Can anyone identify the fuzes in the picture they look odd to me. Or are they just unusual fuze covers?

Thanks in advance

 

[Burney Davis]

The odd looking 'fuzes' are fuze covers. I have one marked 221 and another marked 223. I believe they were just modified BE smoke shells.

 

[Rrickoshae]

Yes, mostly shell delivered leaflets were sent over in boxes to be loaded at the point of use into smoke shells that had had their smoke pots emptied out leaving the expelling charge in place. However some 25pdr smoke shells were factory loaded with leaflets. These were painted black, with the usual red band and filling station details and ‘Leaflet’ stencilled in white.
leaflets that were delivered by shell, rather than aircraft, are easily identified as the expelling charge builds up considerable pressure before the base closing disc lets go causing the rolls of leaflets to be compressed and leaving them with lozenge shaped folds and, for those in the top roll, scorch marks.

 

[Rrickoshae]

The stepped fuze cover was designed for use with the No.222 series of time fuzes which were in effect a No.221 time fuze with the external shape the the No.117/119 D.A. Fuzes. This allowed change from D.A to time fuzing without needing to recalibrate the weapon. But the caps appear to have been used with both 221 & 222 fuzes.

 

[Rrickoshae]

You can see the distinctive folding caused by the build up of pressure before the base plate lets go in these leaflets from my collection.

 

[Buster]

Thanks for all the informative replies.

 

[ron3350]

Thanks for finally identifying my fuze cover. It has many dints and is a No5 1 made by SPL over V so is Australian? (Who is this company?)
Dated 6 / 65 in black. It has a rubber seal at the base groove so missing the steel clip.
The middle section seems longer than that shown by Rrickoshae , the flat part is about 30mm long.
I thought it was home-made but now I must keep it as a variation.

 

[fert]

Hello,
I have these 25pr BE Mk1D, one of wich has a capital P on it. Could be a local conversion marking for Propaganda?
all the best