WWII Battlefield, MIA search at 6°F

[Westfront]

This week is a very special week for me. I and some selected detectorist were invited to help finding a missed american GI, killed in action november 1944. Unfortunately it's winter again after the snowdrops started blooming. Bloody cold with temps at 6° in the morning, just a little more mid day and strong wind.
It was the first time i had to use a power hammer to break the ground open. Frozen 10" deep...
Students of a university helped with a ground magnetometer to find irregularities in the area the remains of the soldier were assumed. We had a couple spots to look further with the detector and found the foxholes we were looking for. We cleaned up the area, recovered some things showing we were in the first front line.
Next month a team coming over from Fl. will dig there and hopefully they will find the remains and bring him home after more than 70 years.

Cover of the gun camera coming off a nearby P47 crash site

Don't know how you call them, these were used to mount barbed wire on or more likely in this case tripwire because we found primer for mines or battlefield illumination as well.

 

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[pepperj]

Cool hunt, and that's certainly hardcore hunting and digging. Best of luck on the recovery efforts going forward.

 

[ecmjamsit]

I think the corkscrew looking devices were used to tie down tents too.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Thank you for helping bring one of our fallen home.

 

[dirtlooter]

pretty awesome, be careful of live things

 

[birdman]

Well done,keep us posted!

 

[Relicific]

I hope your successful

 

[thrifty76now]

A brave adventure at 6 F i hope your group can find that lost body next search.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

The "corkscrews" are screw pickets, Germany was the first to use them for barbed wire in WW1 but everyone had them by wars end. I don't think I've seen short ones like that... Maybe cut down for some specific use

 

[NOLA_Ken]

after a little looking it seems those short ones are Allied made, used to lay out low barbed wire entanglements

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Good Luck and Thank You for effort!

 

[robfinds]

Power hammer, that's serious detecting !!!. Good luck, and keep warm.

 

[Overseas]

I am around the Ardennes and would love to help!!! I already sent you a PM.

 

[Westfront]

pretty awesome, be careful of live things

Thank you, bomb disposal unit is just a phone call away.
All we had this time were a couple fuzes and hand grenades. Nothing these guys are worried about. They know other (bigger) stuff...

 

[Westfront]

A brave adventure at 6 F i hope your group can find that lost body next search.

We are close. The dig will made by the guys from Florida. We will be there to assist and lay the foundations.

 

[Westfront]

The "corkscrews" are screw pickets, Germany was the first to use them for barbed wire in WW1 but everyone had them by wars end. I don't think I've seen short ones like that... Maybe cut down for some specific use

Thanks Nola! Screw pickets. I hope to remember when i need it.
These short ones are made like this. I know them with up to 4 pigtails. German ones are wound from thinner wire. Our guess is the one loop screw pickets here were used for trip wire. Makes perfect sense there although barbed wire entanglements are also possible.
Interesting side note: There are still some fields fenced in second use with the 4 loop ones.

 

[Westfront]

Power hammer, that's serious detecting !!!. Good luck, and keep warm.

You can bet it was chilly on the open field! Never did something like that before. But the date was fix since last year and we thought the frost would be gone by end of february.

 

[Westfront]

I am around the Ardennes and would love to help!!! I already sent you a PM.

Thank you!

 

[Overseas]

My Great-uncle was a pilot in WWII died crossing over the Atlantic to Europe. He was never found. That is all I currently know. So from many perspectives this is something important to me.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Thank you for the effort. Ours came home (P-51C in the Pacific), but so many did not.