Another day at a WW2 airfield

[ww2digger]

Hey all

Well, i have spent a little more time at the airfield I posted about a few weeks back and have found some more stuff for you to see.

Firstly a few pics of the digging in action !









Now a picture of the finds i made PRIOR to them being cleaned up



Now a picture taken after 2 hours of solid cleaning, examining and disposal of pieces of crap i brought back with me just in case they had markings on them...



Ok let's get down to some identification. All the cartridges are easy to identify with their headstamps and i am somewhat of an enthusiastic expert on them now. Suffice to say all were dated between 1941 and 1944 and are 50cal, 20mm and 303 rounds.

All the below were found at the same depth as the cartridges so i know they are the same era.

First thing is the Lucas box. It's about 10cm tall and 4cm wide.





Next a strange cap with the remains of a gasket on the inside. Stamp on the top reads ASTD440. It's about 8cm in diameter (3 inches ish)Fuel cap off an airplane ?





I have no idea what this could be. Same size as the Lucas 'box'



Flare gun cartridge ? About 35mm in diameter



This cartridge has been cut through very deliberately Any idea why ?



A piece of brass about 5cm long (2 inches) with Sheffield stamped on it and in stylised writing what looks like the name Nesthills (but i could be wrong )





Oh dear...someone lost their cash ! Half a crown as well.....lots of money in them days. Dated 1940 on a WW2 airfield. NICE !



Lastly, something i have got very excited about. It is quite small only being about an inch (2.5cm) tall. Under the pin on the back you can JUST make out (with a magnifying glass and lots of cursing and moving of lights ) what appears to be a very small stamp. It looks like a stylised top half of an eagle above a stripped shield. Beneath the shield is a scroll. Could this be an American officers 'pip' ? ? I hope it is !!!






Anyways....thats the most interesting stuff. A good day and well worth the thorn scratches, nettles stings, falling down hidden badger holes and dropping my sandwiches in a cow pat

Hope you like them.

ww2digger

[aa battery]

[stefen]

Lucas box looks like a fus box cover for a british car...as in never fear, its sure to break down

[tulecanyon]

i think the Lucas cover is for a voltage regulator, though it could be a fuse box cover.

the "pip" is a second lieutenants 'butter bar'. there were a score of company's that made U.S. rank insignia.
i once found one that the entire back was covered in little palm trees, instead of a manufacture mark.

nice finds.