WW2 USAAF base - Some great relics recovered.

I paid a visit to the USAAF dump yesterday that I have been digging for a few years now. Indeed, this was my second visit this year, the first one resulting in some nice finds, including a chunk of P51, (you may have seen the thread posted a few weeks back).

On this visit I took some extra manpower with me, in the shape of my son. This meant we could cover quite a bit more area than me digging alone so I was hopeful of some good finds.

After an hours digging and having to put up with some truly awful smells, (my son had terrible wind and kept farting down the bottom of the 5 foot deep hole we were both in……little fecker), we hadn’t much to show for our efforts. I was moderately happy with a nice blue poison bottle we had found, and was keen to clean up a couple of spoons we had also found, but apart from that, the day was good, but not memorable.

I took a break whilst my son shifted some spoil and was kicking around in that same spoil when something flew past my head, landing in the soil next to me.

‘Bloody coat hook!’ mumbled my son from the bottom of the hole. ‘Sorry. Did that nearly hit you?’

‘Nearly. Try and remember I’m sat behind you eh?’ I replied and picked up the ‘coat hook’.

Well, suffice to say I am surprised nobody heard the swearing!!! Coat hook??? NOT BLOODY LIKELY !!! It was one of the best finds ever from this dump and I could do nothing but stare at the ‘coat hook’ for 5 minutes, swearing under my breath, whilst my son sniggered at the bottom of the hole.

The item is at the bottom of this thread…….



Half an hour later another find came out that, to begin with, seemed quite mundane. However, after cleaning, this too joined the growing list of ‘awesome finds’ from this base. It is pictured with the spoons.

I have put together a video of the dig, to be found here......



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JzQnVglTjw



First up, before any cleaning.



Bottles first. The dump is, as normal, filled with broken bottles. Some come out whole, and some have nice markings on them. The vintage Old Spice bottle is very nice.



Horlicks Malted Milk Lunch Tablets! Blimey…….I remember them from when I was a lad !



The beer bottle not only still retained its stopper, but was also dated on the bottom, 1942.



And the blue poison bottle? A nice little find, made even better by the WD arrow !



The rest of the stuff cleaned……




Merlin engine exhaust stub lock washers.



.......more

 

Some nice aircrafty bits.



These two battery components are nicely marked, (5J – Battery, primary and secondary)



As is the tubing clamp



On to the cutlery. Two nice teaspoons and a fish knife. As usual with cutlery, cleaning often reveals marks, and two of these didn’t disappoint!



The fish knife has only got the RAF crest on it!!!!



AND a date, 1941



As has one of the spoons, along with a WD arrow.



One 20mm and two 50cal cartridges, all US made.



Two US mess tins. Not dated but recovered from the same depth as all other dateable WW2 items.



And the find to top the day off?

The coat hook?

Nah.

50cal Combination tool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was used to repair and adjust the 50cal MGs used in the aircraft. Very VERY pleased with this extremely rare object!





Another successful dig.

Hope you like the finds.

 

Good finds, persistence paid off.

 

A very entertaining video - many thanks for posting it here Steve !

( Did find a cutlery knife once - at Leiston in the 70s.... )

 

Well done that man!

 

Thanks guys

 

Steve- familiar with this forum?
http://www.battleheadquarters.info/defence_board/

 

Curiously, no !!! Soon will be though Thanks for the link

 

Who is Skipper?

 

Thanks for the post. You're a lucky man to have the opportunity for such a dig. Glad to see that you are taking advantage of it.

 

Thanks Sandwichery I have had some great finds already this year. Long may it continue!

 

Some great finds Steve!

Do you by any chance ever take forum members with you on your digs?

 

I am chairman of the WW2 Relic Retrieval & Preservation Group and frequently take group members to numerous sites. If you want to come to the digs, you need to be a member of the group. Visit www.ww2rrpg.com

 

Very 'slick' website you have there Steve, and membership of your group is also tempting me.

In which part of the UK do you generally operate?

 

Sorry for the delay lads, but I've been lurking don't worry. Great finds . The poison bottle is most intriguing. The blue colour is typical of pharmaceutical aether though.

You may find more here:
http://www.mtaofnj.org/content/WWII%20Combat%20Medic%20-%20Dave%20Steinert/more_miscellaneous_wwii_medical_.htm

 

Jagdpanther44 - All over the place The site where this stuff came from is only about 2 hours from you.

Skipper - Thanks for the link and comments. Most kind. The blue colour was used for a great many liquids. Ether wouldn't have done too well in these as it is so volatile and explosive, but it most certainly could have been used for it As a pharmacist by profession, it was a truly wonderful find for me

 

Very nice website. I've bookmarked it and will look through the photos over the next few days.