Militaria and accessories

[R.G.C]

What is always humbling when you read about the amount of live ordnance that still litters countries such as France and Belgium is, even during the Great War, the amount of stuff that didn't explode was a tiny amount of what had been fired. Seeing and hearing about the amounts recovered gives you the idea of how much was actually expended!

It's not actually that small, it is estimated that in the Great War, up to 1916 over 1/3 of shells didn't explode due to manufacturing faults, then there were those that failed to go off due to other causes like soft impact.

I was going around the Somme with a school group (was one of the prefects) went back to round up some stragglers near the Accrington Pals position. When I found them they were pulling up something looking like an 18lb shell, got them to put it down slowly and walk away, they had been warned about this but frankly didn't care

Iust on or two anedotes!

A lady next village to mine once found pieces of wood about 200mm long, 100 high and 30 wide. She thougt they were good fuel to feed the iron stove...immediately execued....They were boxes of 20 detonators... guess the results.... no one was hurt but many rememeber!!!

Sone 5-6 years ago, 2 men were cleaning a hedge in a pasture. They light a fire to burn all te debris.W hen the work was finished, they sarted to move away. they moved just some 30 metres fron the fire when a violent exlosion behind them. Never have been able to determine what exploded, but the hole in th ground was quite a large one

During the 2003 droughts, we were on the terrace watching a crop fire in the valley, when we suddenky saw a big ball of orange flame and the noise of quite a big explosion as welll. Also no one never knew what exploded.

Some 10 years ago 'collector' found several metal cylinders some 100mm dia and 60 long on the ceash site of a german plane. He found clever to place one some 30 metres away and rifle shot it.....BAAANG. He was almost to wet his pants!!! We dissover later they were very sophisticated AP bombs as a full container pf them was discovered digging a little further...

R.G.C

[Christel]

R.G.C

You make France sound like a country where things just happen to blow up from time to time.
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[ovenpaa]

Can we move this out of G0M please, not sure where though :G

[R.G.C]

R.G.C

You make France sound like a country where things just happen to blow up from time to time.
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Christel,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocket

http://hulsmann.home.xs4all.nl/falaise.html

This battle ended 19-21 August in my valley here. On those 3 days of fight reports account for 10000 to 15000 killed (dpennding of the sources) and up to 50000 prrisoneers.

Several 000s of vehicles, 400 heavy guns, hundreds of tanks, and all what goes with were left... The whole of it in a valley 8 kms wide and about same in lenght... There is still discoveries now...

'Der Kessel' and the 'Corridor of Death' for the Germans

Come one time and visit.... The cellar is still visible with the right introduction....

R.G.C

[Christel]

Christel,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocket

http://hulsmann.home.xs4all.nl/falaise.html

This battle ended 19-21 August in my valley here. On those 3 days of fight reports account for 10000 to 15000 killed (dpennding of the sources) and up to 50000 prrisoneers.

Several 000s of vehicles, 400 heavy guns, hundreds of tanks, and all what goes with were left... The whole of it in a valley 8 kms wide and about same in lenght... There is still discoveries now...

'Der Kessel' and the 'Corridor of Death' for the Germans

Come one time and visit.... The cellar is still visible with the right introduction....

R.G.C

"Corridor of Death", huge operation!
I get the impression that almost the whole world landed on the shores of France and then wreaked havoc.

Thank you for the invite

[etprescottuk]

A box of .303 British that found it's way back to the states. Shot a few, wonderful great quality

Yes like many for any old rifles I like to obtain the bayonet or an original sling. I inherited a cache of documents and items from my late Grandfather he visited Great Britain during the Second World War, several old items in his things, as well as a few other items

[ovenpaa]

Mother mailed me this today, it is a picture from my Grandfather who served with the RE in WW1 from 1915 until the end. On the back it says "Billy. My horse."

Mum says:

Dad wrote on the back, Billy. My horse. When I asked him about it he did say it really belonged to his Officer, but Dad looked after it.

The officer gave Granddad a set of spurs which Mum still has to this day. Billy was a fine looking horse and I do wonder how much of the war he saw.

[etprescottuk]

Beautiful photograph Ovenpaa, history to cherish, priceless as well.

Does the location on this card have any relevance today, one of the many places my grandfather visited, he saved a lot of stuff.

[ovenpaa]

Thank you. My grandfather was very fond of the horse. He heard his cousin was encamped locally one day so he borrowed the horse that evening to visit him, sadly his cousin was killed the following day.

I know Oxford Street in London and "The Tottenham 6 Oxford Street London" is now a pub (Bar) Interesting telephone number on the card 'Museum 7201'

[bobbob]

I went to see Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse". All I could say when I left the theatre was "Wow!"

A very moving account of what they went through.