Interesting find
- 27 May 2012 02:37174897I found this large calibre 1943 dated cartridge at Buckland Paper Mill last Friday whilst helping clear rubbish out of the Dour with the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership. It is marked "SL 43" and is of US origin. The smaller cartridge is a .303 rifle round I found about a meter away.
I've tracked it down and believe it to be a .50 calibre round as used in Browning heavy machine guns, the standard armament of US fighters and bombers of that period. Strangely, it appears to be unfired. Any theories chaps?
- 27 May 2012 07:58174917Fascinating find Phil. I dont have any theories on how it came to be there myself but perhaps some of the guys will. I have pictures somewhere on file of the time you found the Iron Cross a few years back also in the river. You must have quite a collection by now.
How about this for a theory on reflection..a damaged bomber limping its way back home may have jettisoned a wide range of materal to reduce weight. Now, a single bullet doesnt seem to fit the bill, but if a quantity were dumped and they spread over a wide area.email: dover7@msn.com - 27 May 2012 08:06174921The Browning M2 was also used by the US infantry corps. An unfired one without a bullet is probably a drill round (blank cartridge) used for training.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
27 May 2012 09:51174960phil,i have some .303 shell cases dating back to the first world war,flanders area mainly. - 30 May 2012 13:53175656After a few days using the tomato ketchup treatment, it turns out that that rifle round was 1912 dated! I wonder who was camped in Buckland at that time? Like it's larger brother, it was unfired. Anothern puzzler for my list.
- 30 May 2012 17:401756901912 , thats fantastic , are there any records of who was passing through the site at that time Phil ?
- 30 May 2012 17:51175692officially an antique now, why would they have a unit there when the great war was not even planned at that time?
- 30 May 2012 18:43175696Unfortunately, I don't have the local 1912 records yet, so am unsure who exactly was in the area - I'm hoping they will be placed online in the next week or two. However, Dover was awash with Territorials in the few years before WW1, so it may well have come from a temporary tented summer camp. I think Scotchie has a photo from the area of Whitfield Ave that shows such a camp around there at that time.
It's hard to be certain though. Although made in 1912, it could have been dropped a year or two later. It's so corroded, I'm having trouble making out the complete headstamp. So far it looks like '? G12 VII'.
The old Heinz 57 varieties and a good rub followed by some Brasso does wonders:
- 30 May 2012 19:19175708I'd imagine ammunition stocks hung around for quite a few years in 'peacetime' so it probably is WW1 originBeen nice knowing you :)
- 30 May 2012 19:29175713Cartridge S.A . Ball , .303 , Mark VII , Cordite , adopted in 1910 ...... spitzer bullet with lead core and alluminium fibre or BAkealite filler, in the OGIVE, cupro -nickel guilding metal , copper-washed steel , or cupro nickel-washed steel jacket . 11.13 gr weight . 744 MPS velocity , primer annulus generally coloured purple
( most common variation )
Cartridge SA Ball , .303 mark VII Z ... same as MArk VII but nitro cellulose- loaded
( 2.62 gr)
I do believe
- 30 May 2012 19:36175716Worryingly Sarah knew all that without looking it up. She's a dark horse, but remember to be VERY polite to her.
Thanks! - 30 May 2012 19:40175717You know me too well Phil
