Hello
I'm new to the forum, I'm from Belgium and I've been collecting WW2 militaria (mainly British and Belgium) for +- 20 years now.
My main focus is on uniforms, insignia and
Equipment.
However since the summer I acquired a metal detector to visit some local areas where was fought here during the liberation. To find some relics.
A friend recently showed me a site were there was practiced with the piat by British troops just after the liberation. We found some canisters for fuses, tails of exploded projectiles and also these piat practice shots.
I've done some research on them because in first Instance we didn't know if it was safe and what they were.
Now I know they are piat practice shots
A full metal head and a metal tube.
Inside is a cartridge (fuse)
I cleaned it gently with a brush, and I was expecting to see a mark down the tube on the cartridge to where the firing pin would have touched the cartridge.
But I don't see it, It looks just flat metal.
I carefully unscrewed the head and the cartridge became visible.
To me it looks it might not have gone off?
Or is it supposed to look like this?
(Looking at other mostly ground dug practice shots, they look the same) But I want to be sure) Otherwise it will go to the EOD for disposal.
I didn't want to take any further risks so I leave it like this until I know that it is safe to continue or not.
We found 2 practice shots
From one of them came 2 cardboard roundels out of the tube while cleaning out the sand.
What were they? Unfortunately 1 broke because it is very brittle after +80 years in the ground.
Thank you
I'm new to the forum, I'm from Belgium and I've been collecting WW2 militaria (mainly British and Belgium) for +- 20 years now.
My main focus is on uniforms, insignia and
Equipment.
However since the summer I acquired a metal detector to visit some local areas where was fought here during the liberation. To find some relics.
A friend recently showed me a site were there was practiced with the piat by British troops just after the liberation. We found some canisters for fuses, tails of exploded projectiles and also these piat practice shots.
I've done some research on them because in first Instance we didn't know if it was safe and what they were.
Now I know they are piat practice shots
A full metal head and a metal tube.
Inside is a cartridge (fuse)
I cleaned it gently with a brush, and I was expecting to see a mark down the tube on the cartridge to where the firing pin would have touched the cartridge.
But I don't see it, It looks just flat metal.
I carefully unscrewed the head and the cartridge became visible.
To me it looks it might not have gone off?
Or is it supposed to look like this?
(Looking at other mostly ground dug practice shots, they look the same) But I want to be sure) Otherwise it will go to the EOD for disposal.
I didn't want to take any further risks so I leave it like this until I know that it is safe to continue or not.
We found 2 practice shots
From one of them came 2 cardboard roundels out of the tube while cleaning out the sand.
What were they? Unfortunately 1 broke because it is very brittle after +80 years in the ground.
Thank you
