Amazing coin found at Bastogne in Belgium

[bastognee]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbee here, my name is Pierre and I live near famous Bastogne in Belgium. Most of my leisure time is dedicated to hunting relics of the battle of the bulge. Recently I stumble upon this coin ring lost by an american soldier in a fox-hole near Bastogne and thought some pics were worth to be posted here.

Ot was made from a british 2 shilling coin of 1942.

Enjoy.

ps : I'm using a garrett gti 2500 ... but with the tremendous amounts of shell splinters here, I often have false positive signals, anyway, it's a great detector in my opinion.

thanks for this GREAT website.

Pierre

 

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[Boobydoo]

Hi Pierre!!
Welcome to TNet!!

That is a wonderful find. Definitely worthy of the BEst Finds section.
Congratulations and thank you for sharing.

If that ring could talk, the history it could tell.

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[CRUSADER]

Welcome from the UK.

Nice piece of history. 8)

I have often thought about making one of those rings. I have plenty of coins to choose from

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Welcome to Tnet! Thats a beautiful ring! Cant wait to see more of your finds!

 

[bastognee]

Hi guy !

I posted my first message on this forum less than an hour ago and her are two replies already ! GREAT COMMUNITY, THANKS !

My latest best find in the battle of the Bulge area near BASTOGNE is featured on youtube :



I hope you enjoy it.

Sorry for my approximate english.

Best regards to all,

Pierre

 

[Elvis]

My grandfather was at the Battle of the Bulge, I would love to have th chance to md there. Please post more finds!!!!! Congrats.

 

[Born Free]

I can't find the words for what you found. The only comfort is that he died quickly, but they would not have even had anything to send back to his family. If I lived where you do, I would MD there very day. Americans are fascinated with WWII and esp the Battle of the Bulge. Please keep posting your finds! I don't know which is more fascinating, the ring or the ID tag and the soldier's shattered equipment. Since we do not have any WWII relics here, we need you Europeans to find them and post them on TNet.

And your english is better than many Americans here on TNet!

 

[dakotama95]

Thank you for the post. you have some really nice finds. Have you tried to find the family of the soldier?

 

[Derek752]

A very special find Pierre.
Makes me think of the perhaps tragic tale behind the ring

Welcome to Tnet ......


Zalig Kerstfeest

D. 8)

 

[birdman]

Amazing find and very historical! My wife's grandfather fought at Normandy and through the Bulge and got frost bite in the forest there.He almost lost his left foot but they saved his foot but he had no feeling in his feet due to the nerve damage. He just turned 86 and is one true hero in my book. He don't talk much about the war but he has shared a few stories with me .My wife and I drove through Bastogne and then to Waterloo about a year ago and walked the battle fields and went to a couple of local musems and it was a very moving couple of days I will never forget. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas.

 

[armchairQB30]

Artillery killed most of the soldiers in WWII, I think it would be very special of you to send these artifacts to his family. I am deeply moved by your find because it is a voice calling from the past for a proper burial. Maybe he has a tombstone in Bastogne? Maybe he has a tombstone in the US somewhere? Many of the soldiers hit with the vast artillery barages of WWII were just atomized to put it bluntly. I think that someone might get some closure by you sending these artifacts to his family. I grieve for this infantryman 63 years after his passing. Amen.

 

[TheDane]

Hi Pierre

A welcome to the TNet from Denmark !

Very nice and interesting find you got there !!

Regards
agersea

 

[Trond]

Very special object.

 

[hollowpointred]

that video stopped me in my tracks. the bracelet given to him by his wife must have been a prized possesion. very very sad. and to be killed 2 days before Christmas............

 

[detector dave]

nice find. i know a guy that runs a metal-detector shop that has something like that, i will tell him that i think i know what it is. their is not a head on the ring he has found.

 

[gollum]

NUTS!!!

 

[armchairQB30]

"I am the 101st Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going"

 

[bruizr]

thanks for sharing. my wife's dad fought at the bulge and was wounded. he carried shrapnel in his body till he died a couple years before we met so i never knew him. she said he got frost bite pretty bad too and would cry out his friend's name that was killed next to him in his sleep sometimes. seeing your post is like getting a glimpse of what they all went through.

 

[Thomas007]

Posted on Youtube by Julz2218

Thomas Gent was my great great uncle. He died on Christmas day. I never knew him but my family just got a letter the day before Christmas telling us that his things have been discovered in Belgium. What a great gift for our family.
----------------------

As a side note, my father fought at the Battle of the Bulge. He never discussed it too much until I was snagged by the military in the early 60's. He then opened up much more feeling that he might say something from his war experiences that would help me to survive mine. He did have some interesting stories of non combat occurrences for the rest of the family.

Sanat

 

[birdman]

WOW! Amazing story with a bit of a happy ending for the family. The video was extremely moving and makes you thankful for all the heroes that fought the evil of the day! I think this is a BANNER story for sure.