W109 1944

[BruceLee230]

Hi

I've had this for about eight years or so. Bought from a antiques fair and it was only the date that interested me. It had been painted in thick white gloss paint but luckily most of it peeled off revealing what appears to be red oxide. The brass fasteners have also been cleaned up.



I posted photos on wwiireenacting at the time but got no feedback. I've seen it listed in l/clcombats' 'w' list but no explanation. I can find photos of another one on a websearch but the site itself hasn't the photos. It's the familiar format for boxes; number, mark, manufacturer and date. I was once told by a mate it might have contained 'flux'? It is only a foot or so long and has no sigh of green or brown paint.

Any help would be appreciated and please use the photos for reference.

 

[Bonnex]

Box, Charges, Demolition, CE/TNT, W109 Mk II

 

[AE501]

Here are the two marks of box and the contents.

 

[Bonnex]

Thanks Bill, I have the same picture but it is very feint and isn't worth scanning. If I remember correctly the give-away with boxes for explosive charges is that their fittings and screws are brass. Is that right?

 

[BruceLee230]

Thanks for the info and the photo guys. In the photo would I be correct in saying the boxes were not painted? I would like to recreate the stenciling and I'm assuming this was yellow.

 

[AE501]

Those particular boxes, at that time, were Vandyke Brown Stained.
This was applied with lots of thinners.
Stencilling was yellow.

 

[AE501]

N.
You are correct, but the only parts which sometimes did not conform, were the pivoting closing straps, which were sometimes steel, but always had brass locking pins.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

The slabs were each 1 Lb in weight. I was in a group of apprentices that helped to dispose of many of these in 1980 during `Exercise Elbow Room.'

 

[BruceLee230]

Thinned down Vandyck Brown oil paint with methylated spirit and gave the box a coat.



I tried to sand off as much of the red oxide paint as possible but there are areas where the paint has ingrained. The lid has one half stained for comparison and the red clearly shows up on the box. Next, I'm going to try making stencils and have a go at making the slabs, wooden blocks and I take the original slabs were in card cases?
Would they be stenciled on all four sides and the lid?

Cheers

 

[AE501]

The Slabs are 4.5"L x 2.25"W x 1.75"D.
They are filled by pouring the filling into the heavy waxed paper container. The last part of the fill is hot, to melt the wax in the paper/card lid to form a seal.
You would do better to stick to the wooden block.