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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

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Help identifying a Somme relic...


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Sorry, those last pictures were huge! I hope these are more useful... any ideas as to what this is exactly would be most welcome... thanks again!

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Some indications of dimensions might be rather helpful.

Regards

TonyE

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Sorry not got a clue to what your relic could be, but if you could give the dimensions I am sure that one of the forum experts will be able to help

Dave

one of the experts has beaten me !!!

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There was something like this on the forum a while ago. I think it was an axle hub?

John

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hi, thanks for the interest. dimensions are:

10cm high, 9cm 'base' diameter, 11cm 'top' diameter.

there's what looks like a firing pin, in brass, on the 'base', about 1cm diameter.

there's a thread on the 'top', before the lip/widest part.

there's evenly spaced small holes all around the side.

there's a kind of brass cylinder embedded/inserted in the top.

it's heavy - not empty

(someone else suggested 'axel-hub' on another forum, btw, but i think that's unlikely for a ww1 item?)

i hope that helps!

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Not really. There were far more horse drawn carts, trailers and of course towed guns than there were motor vehicles. There were many types of lorries, buses, ambulances etc which could have sported such an item.

John

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Can't think of an axle hub having a brass cylinder embedded in it.

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However, the "small holes" imply lubrication to me. Bluntly, I suggest that you clean it up and have a good look at it. It's not much use to knowledge in its present state (don't mean to sound dismissive, just practical). Cheers, Antony

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It is the base of a 4" Stokes (chemical mortar) round. This is the later type and this part contained the propellant charge, gases were vented through the holes. The original design from 1915 had a tubular tail with a cartridge like the 3"

Mike

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interesting, thanks guys.

couple of questions spring to mind:

'contained the propellant charge' - that sounds like not such a good thing to have kicking around?

should i clean it up? if so how? or bury it in the back garden?

any diagrams/pictures of the 4" Stokes?

thanks again.

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Thank you, MikH. Sorry to have misled, Spec. Venting/lubricating - opposite ends of the stick :blink: . Googling wiki will give you a rasonable photo of a 3" Stokes. 4" was up-sized version of same but mainly for different use. Antony

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interesting, thanks guys.

couple of questions spring to mind:

'contained the propellant charge' - that sounds like not such a good thing to have kicking around?

should i clean it up? if so how? or bury it in the back garden?

any diagrams/pictures of the 4" Stokes?

thanks again.

As it is part of a chemical weapon, you might want to tread lightly. I would think you should turn it in, just to be safe.

-Daniel

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