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Today I got that 105mm Abbot case that had had the primer hole blocked up with a drawer handle and had soil in the bottom, so I guess it had been used as a plant pot. What other odd uses for shell cases (or any other ordnance item) have you seen?
My G/F found a 105mm shell case that had a handle through the primer hole and had been used as a coal scuttle!
It was also engraved with `Falkland Islands` 1982 on it.
A quick clean up and off it went for 15 on ebay last year!:xd:
One of the guys on my team picked up a 3" HE mortar that was used as a counterweight for a garage door. Yes it was live. I have also seen mortar plugs representing fuzes (rep M524 fz) stuck on top of the fence posts in someones garden near the proof range I used to work at.
The Navy wanted to use the nose cone of the Hermann 1,000Kg dredged up of Guernsey several years ago as their BBQ , but luckly the states of guernsey interviened and its now on show in the Occupational Museum
After the end of battle readiness tests one of the AAC apache squadrons kept back approx 100 empty cases from the 30mm cannon, had them chromed and now use them in the various messes as shot glasses.
I think i know for the whereabouts of one of them german nosecones. On a beach near me. will get a pic and you guys can decide,hopefully this weekend.Its used as a home for the local sealife!:bigsmile:
Did anyone see that round that was for sale at Beltring?
It was a minty german 10.5cm proj fitted with a german fuze that had been converted to a lamp and stuffed into a british case..
Me thinks this if a 114 ballistic tail unit from a 1000lb british bomb and not a Mk 82... Unfortunatly as a sad puppy I have and still work on these items...
Up until a couple of years ago I owned a complete 3" Stokes gun and most of the accessories. I had a major rethink in my collecting and sold it complete to the National Army Museum (where it is hopefully on display, I haven't looked)
The gun was a dig up from the Somme but was in remarkable condition and I was able to use 95% of the parts including things like castle nuts again. The only real work was on the bipod. I had a new elevating thread manufactured for it. For the traversing thread I used part of the original elevating thread that was buried in the bipod housing and amazingly was still in grease.
The original barrel was a bit pitted but acceptable.
Anyway back to topic, I was subsequently able to find an original baseplate in really good condition as this was missing when the gun was found. These were issued two to each gun (in case of loss and to pre-prepare new positions etc) and turn up now and again.
The really good bit is that after a tip off I acquired a new barrel (made by Rover Car Co in 1917!) from the St Pol area of France (I believe there was a Trench Mortar training school there)
The barrel was being used by a silk screen printing comany to hold down bits of material....... I know don't ask!! It had a few minor dings from years of abuse but still had traces of paint and blueing left on it.
Regards
Gunnerop
Before anybody asks I only have one 3" TM, a ring charge and a Stokes clinometer left!! And as it was pre my digital camera days I will have to hunt for pics of it, but I do have some somewhere.
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