***well well what have we here sir ***

Hi All.

I have been involved in some excavating/digging of late,(well overseeing it done that is) and the special people that do this have found these.?

I also have this week found 5 more 50 cals on a belt 2 and a 3, and one very small round (pictures on monday.before they get handed in) the small round is not something we have seen before and i can not risk cleaning it as it could well be unstable.

PLEASE NOTE: these rounds have all been legally disposed off and the latest ones photos will be ready on Monday.

the 2 on the left are 50 cal and the centre one is a 20 mm with a steel round ? so not sure what it was used for, the 3rd one is also from a belt of ammo but again we were unable to locate any info as its too unstable to be cleaned up,

the ammo has been in the ground from may 1945 until the last few days,

thanks to Paul 'o for his help in the new 50 cal brass for the display that will be made later this year.

regards

bob.

INFO:

they are from the uk based us forces of that time so the 50 cal is as it was then and is now,

the 20mm we have no idea of thats job in life,

and the small metal belted round is ?

I can't say too much but we will be working on this loads more in the next few weeks as there is now a team of 3 guys and they are as keen as mustard to find out if there are more about the same area.
 
Last edited:
I know that the USAAF's 4th Fighter Squadron were armed with Spitfires until 1943, and there's also an interesting film on Youtube of USAAF Spitfires.

 
Hi All.

I have been involved in some excavating/digging of late,(well overseeing it done that is) and the special people that do this have found these.?

I also have this week found 5 more 50 cals on a belt 2 and a 3, and one very small round (pictures on monday.before they get handed in) the small round is not something we have seen before and i can not risk cleaning it as it could well be unstable.

PLEASE NOTE: these rounds have all been legally disposed off and the latest ones photos will be ready on Monday.

the 2 on the left are 50 cal and the centre one is a 20 mm with a steel round ? so not sure what it was used for, the 3rd one is also from a belt of ammo but again we were unable to locate any info as its too unstable to be cleaned up,

the ammo has been in the ground from may 1945 until the last few days,

thanks to Paul 'o for his help in the new 50 cal brass for the display that will be made later this year.

regards

bob.

INFO:

they are from the uk based us forces of that time so the 50 cal is as it was then and is now,

the 20mm we have no idea of thats job in life,

and the small metal belted round is ?

I can't say too much but we will be working on this loads more in the next few weeks as there is now a team of 3 guys and they are as keen as mustard to find out if there are more about the same area.


Watch yourself around the 20mm Robert, they were more often than not explosive tipped.

Me and my dad spent Many Many hours metal detecting on WW2 crash sites, and we were going over the site of a Bristol Beaufighter that had crashed and burned. Found 62 of those 20mm tips, and there's me as an 8-9 year old cleaning them up.

One of them starts hissing, never forget it, cast it straight into a pond, a plop followed by an awful lot of bubbles comes up from the depths.....


​ That other one is most definitely .303, look at the rim
 
Last edited:
As a kid we found a few boxes of them 20mm heads in a scrap yard in the 80s there were hundreds of them scrap yard was next to a rail yard which was used during the war,
 
cheers lads

i think the 303 is correct, as for the 20mm when they came to take it away they said the team have to be very carfull when they find them,

the aircraft type is know but i am not permitted to say, its not far from salisbury but thats all i am allowed to mention at this time.

bob.
 
Watch yourself around the 20mm Robert, they were more often than not explosive tipped.

Me and my dad spent Many Many hours metal detecting on WW2 crash sites, and we were going over the site of a Bristol Beufighter that had crashed and burned. Found 62 of those 20mm tips, and there's me as an 8-9 year old cleaning them up.
One of them starts hissing, never forget it, cast it straight into a pond, a plop followed by an awful lot of bubbles comes up from the depths.....


​ That other one is most definitely .303, look at the rim

Sounds like white phosphorous.
 
I would love to have a inert 20mm as with the 50 cal it would be nice to have all the calibres we have found on the same display.

bob.
 
How old do you think the rounds are? 20mm are still in service on naval and rfa's ships. It may be standard, tpt or he. If the headstamp is readable you may be able to find a bit history about it.
 
How old do you think the rounds are? 20mm are still in service on naval and rfa's ships. It may be standard, tpt or he. If the headstamp is readable you may be able to find a bit history about it.


The Aircraft crashed on the 5th of may 1945, so thats a long time.

i am not in a position to check them as when found they are photographed and then taken away for disposal.

bob.
 
I would love to have a inert 20mm as with the 50 cal it would be nice to have all the calibres we have found on the same display.

bob.


Bob, Have a look here mate..

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1146462




.a 20mm on an auction site from years ago...I have one almost exactly the same, completely inert BTW...:) .

Tho mine has a hollow head, probs an explosive head....if it's any good to you, let me know, I'll get it off to you...:)

Keep up the good work mate..:)
 
Hi Bobjs,

The 20mm round is from a 20mm Oerlikon auto cannon. They did make them with Steel heads, I believe for strafing armoured vehicles but most that I have come across while clam diving have been HE or incendiary (I generally swim on by) but these are from the Navy not Air force.

Also watch out for for what look like 'Short' .50 BMG rounds which are .50 Vickers and they are almost always loaded with a very nasty type of incendiary that looks just like a regular jacketed bullet, just a friendly heads up.

All the best,

​Snagman
 
How old do you think the rounds are? 20mm are still in service on naval and rfa's ships. It may be standard, tpt or he. If the headstamp is readable you may be able to find a bit history about it.

IIRC A Spitfire pilot told me that they used SAPHEI rounds in the 20mm during the war. Semi Armour Piercing High Explosive Incendiary...one to treat with respect methinks.

ATB
 
Bob, Have a look here mate..

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1146462




.a 20mm on an auction site from years ago...I have one almost exactly the same, completely inert BTW...:) .

Tho mine has a hollow head, probs an explosive head....if it's any good to you, let me know, I'll get it off to you...:)

Keep up the good work mate..:)

Hi Norrie,

thank you for the heads up.

the offer is cracking bud i would love to take you up on the offer so that when the display is done we will have the lot, I am at this time trying to find a couple of 303 rounds on a bit of belt so that they can be displayed too.

we have some special bits that i will display later as at this time we have to respect the dead, and ask permission to display items before we do,

Hi Bobjs,

The 20mm round is from a 20mm Oerlikon auto cannon. They did make them with Steel heads, I believe for strafing armoured vehicles but most that I have come across while clam diving have been HE or incendiary (I generally swim on by) but these are from the Navy not Air force.

Also watch out for for what look like 'Short' .50 BMG rounds which are .50 Vickers and they are almost always loaded with a very nasty type of incendiary that looks just like a regular jacketed bullet, just a friendly heads up.

All the best,

​Snagman

thank you sir

we have some more specials coming in this week and next, by that time the digging should be all but done, again i can not say too much as its only a site i am working on as a favour.

regards

bob.



IIRC A Spitfire pilot told me that they used SAPHEI rounds in the 20 mm during the war. Semi Armour Piercing High Explosive Incendiary...one to treat with respect methinks.

ATB

thank you too sir.

we have found some items that we are not allowed to remove for obvious reasons, but when i have permission (if i get it) i will post it here for those who may well be/or have more knowledge than me on the type of aircraft we are talking about.

regard to all.

bob.
 
Hi Bob, if you can PM me your address, I'll get it in the post either tomorrow or Tuesday mate..

You are very welcome to it, and it's yours to do with as you see fit.

My uncle was killed flying a Mosquito FB V1 in WW2, three weeks after D Day, his craft crashed near Margate railway station after catching fire up mid air, so, can understand your sentiments..

BTW, I have 5 inert 303 rounds, in the clip, BUT they are in a display case...hanging on my "mancave" wall..LOL ..I'll see what i can do for you re them..:)

​More power to yer elbow ...:)
 
Last edited:
Hi Bob, if you can PM me your address, I'll get it in the post either tomorrow or Tuesday mate.. You are very welcome to it, and it's yours to do with as you see fit. My uncle was killed flying a Mosquito FB V1 in WW2, three weeks after D Day, his craft crashed near Margate railway station after catching fire up mid air, so, can understand your sentiments.. BTW, I have 5 inert 303 rounds, in the clip, BUT they are in a display case...hanging on my "mancave" wall..LOL ..I'll see what i can do for you re them..:) ​More power to yer elbow ...:)


thank you Norrie.

please don't do anything about the 303 rounds ill see what i can do this end, i have a few pals i can try, if there is no joy then thats it,

pm will be with you after this post,

kind regards and many thanks to your uncle and many others like him.

bob.
 
Back
Top