Trawling around the web one lunch time I can across some Sd2 Butterfly Bomb relics (blown up bits) long sold that are reputed to have been found by metal detectorists around Grimsby in recent years. Does anyone know this to be fact or is it another story cooked up to help sell these relics?
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grimsby Sd2 relics
- Thread starter Rockteer
- Start date
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
As Dave said you would need some absolute proof other than word of mouth for such things. Relic SD2 stuff is not scarce, there is plenty of it around, a lot originated from Finland initially and now a lot appears to be surfacing from Poland, Latvia and Russia. Of course SD2's were used in large numbers in the Russian campaign and it is not suprising to have these things turn up...........however Grimsby is another thing altogether. Estimated number dropped around 3,000 on one raid. Most dropped on the towns of Grimsby and Cleethorpes, though some did end up in the surrounding countryside of North Coates. However a thorough search ensued and a high percentage of these were dealt with by Bomb disposal and others were recorded as exploded. Numbers were estimated from the number of containers found and so the figures are likely to be fairly accurate.
It is true however that during the early 60's house renovation often turned the odd butterfly bomb up which had been missed, but these were few and far between. My guess is that someone, who perhaps knows little about these things has heard of the Grimsby raid and puts two and two together and comes up with five and a 'good story' to appeal to the collector.
Buy the item not the story is my general motto- if something has provenance then all well and good, but it has to be solid to make it worthwhile.
Having said that, I always ask if I buy something, usually after the purchase to see if any further details can be obtained and sometimes its quite rewarding. There is then no gain to be made by the seller and no need for them to elaborate - the deal is already done. Much of the information supplied could never be proved, but its always worth recording to keep with the item.
I have two bits that I can say hand on heart came from the Grimsby raid (with said provenance) and another two items that are 'reputed' to have come from the raid, being locally obtained I suspect in these cases it may be true, but I have no proof beyond word.
So if something does turn up reputedly from Grimsby and is being sold as such, do a little more research and trust your instinct.
regards Kev
It is true however that during the early 60's house renovation often turned the odd butterfly bomb up which had been missed, but these were few and far between. My guess is that someone, who perhaps knows little about these things has heard of the Grimsby raid and puts two and two together and comes up with five and a 'good story' to appeal to the collector.
Buy the item not the story is my general motto- if something has provenance then all well and good, but it has to be solid to make it worthwhile.
Having said that, I always ask if I buy something, usually after the purchase to see if any further details can be obtained and sometimes its quite rewarding. There is then no gain to be made by the seller and no need for them to elaborate - the deal is already done. Much of the information supplied could never be proved, but its always worth recording to keep with the item.
I have two bits that I can say hand on heart came from the Grimsby raid (with said provenance) and another two items that are 'reputed' to have come from the raid, being locally obtained I suspect in these cases it may be true, but I have no proof beyond word.
So if something does turn up reputedly from Grimsby and is being sold as such, do a little more research and trust your instinct.
regards Kev
Hi Kev and Dave, To be honest it comes as no great surprise to me, but I wondered if there was any truth at all that parts have been found and I guess it was wishful thinking that someone might say, "yes I know a guy who found some bits with his metal detector last year" but the other point is I guess is finding a UX one would not be happy days. I dare say the local school boys probably had a field day collecting bits of this new weapon. The traders mentioned above are well know to me for all the wrong reasons. But once these items change hands a few times then it is possible these false histories could be accepted. At the end of the day, a lot of my stuff goes into the museum so the provenance is very important to me, I would rather take something on face value even if the story is not as interesting, at least it is right and the way I see it, is messing around with history cooking up stories is disrespectful to those that enjured those times and those that lost their lives. I think there is enough interest by genuine collectors that these stories are not needed, it only pollutes the hobby and probably puts people off things that are genuine.
About three years ago, I saw some rusty relic SD2 wings on ebay.
I asked the seller where they came from and he said 'they were recently found in a house roof gutter in Grimsby by a builder'. Great story.
I emailed him two days later from my girlfriend's ebay account and said that I collected Finnish militaria (!) and said they looked remarkably like the ones that were coming out of the forests in Finland at the time. He said, yes, this is where they came from!
Carpe diem.
I asked the seller where they came from and he said 'they were recently found in a house roof gutter in Grimsby by a builder'. Great story.
I emailed him two days later from my girlfriend's ebay account and said that I collected Finnish militaria (!) and said they looked remarkably like the ones that were coming out of the forests in Finland at the time. He said, yes, this is where they came from!
Carpe diem.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Do you recall who was selling them?
wouldnt happen to be these guys would it ?...........http://www.militarytrader.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5543
link from the thread above - alias militarytrader
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-Germa...DROPPED-on-Grimsby-1943-Framed-/260933815852?
regards Kev
Haha! Yes, they're well known. I don't think it was them, but unfortunately I have had dealings with militarytrader about 8 years ago and was ripped off.
Mysteriously, they often 'find' a variety of WW2 items with punched wording on them - sometimes spelt wrong - but always in the same punch font...
Avoid like the plague.
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