WW2 relic weapons recovery - England 2011

**ww2digger** · Nov 04, 2011, 09:53 AM

Hi All

I thought I'd share with you the recent work of the WW2 Relic Retrieval and Preservation Group (RRPG). We formed some 6 months ago and are made up of serving and ex servicemen, Amateur historians and keen enthusiasts, with close links with EOD personnel. We formed the group to ensure that relics are preserved for future generations. All too often important historical relics from WW2 are dug up by people just out to make a fast buck, with no regard for the context in which the items were found, nor any intention to record where items have been recovered from. The WW2 RRPG is dedicated to recording, preserving and protecting the relics from this important era in our history, especially as many items are fast rusting away to nothingness.

The majority of our digs involve the use of metal detectors and recovering individual items. However, every now and again a site will present itself that doesn't need MDs.........just dig a hole !

Our most recent challenge has been the searching of an old British Army dump here in the UK. After a number of months research and tracking down the relevant land owners, 7 members of the RRPG visited the site, along with 2 guys who had been protecting the site for a great many years. It is with thanks to them that we have been able to recover some very important relics from this site.

As a taster of the type of items we found, I have attached pictures of some items of particular note. All kinds of trigger gauges and bits of kit, 303 Inspection rounds, drill rounds, along with 30cal drill rounds, Mark 1 Sten stock and flash hider, and the most amazing find of all so far........German 20mm Flak 38 magazines, in incredible condition and clearly Waffenampt marked.

We discovered that the people who dumped the items here were ensuring nothing could be re-used. Lee-Enfield rifles were chopped into three and set alight in great piles. Sten guns were disassembled into their component parts and scattered, then set alight. Hundreds and hundreds of Besa 7.92mm, 15mm and standard 30cal ammunition cans were just dumped in a hole and covered over. Pull throughs, spare parts, butt plates, L-E ID discs......you name it, it was dumped here.

Working closely with the land owner we have been able to recover and preserve many relics. We had EOD on stand-by should we need advice on anything, or their attendance. Thankfully, the combined knowledge of the group meant they weren't disturbed as we found nothing that could be deemed dangerous, explosive or in contravention of the gun laws. As a professional group, all such items, if found, would have been disposed of correctly, and with EOD involvement should it be necessary.

To show all the relics here would take a great many posts, so it is easier if you just watch the official video of the dig, to be found here;

We hope you enjoy the video.

Regards

ww2digger