RodB Posted 1 January , 2012 Share Posted 1 January , 2012 Thw following photo shows cartridge cases at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, May 1918, according to IWM. Would these be cartridge cases for the 13-pounder 9cwt anti-aircraft gun ? 3-inch looks about right, and as far as I'm aware the only other cartridge case of this size with neck was for 3-inch 20 cwt AA gun, but images I've seen show a much greater length to diameter ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 1 January , 2012 Share Posted 1 January , 2012 Certainly looks like it Rod. Interesting to see the bright section where the brass has been turned to dimension at the rim. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 2 January , 2012 Share Posted 2 January , 2012 Q.F. cartridge cases can be refilled after firing. It looks very much as if these cartridge cases have been reformed and cleaned as they tend to expand after firing. In the process of reforming it tends to weaken the case, as a certain amount of metal is turned off the base and the lower part of the body each time. In the case of 13-pdr., 18-pdr. and 4.5-inch the cartridge case life is determined bt the thickness of the wall after repair at a fixed distance from the flange and not by the number of time they have been fired. I would say that the cartridge cases in the picture are for the 13-pdr. 9-cwt. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 2 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2012 Thanks for confirming that gentlemen. Interesting how much information can be extracted from old photographs. On that topic : does anybody know what the woman second from left is doing holding a cartridge case with the gadget touching the primer hole ? Demonstrating screwing a primer in ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 2 January , 2012 Share Posted 2 January , 2012 More likely to be gauging the primer thread to ensure it is to spec. after reforming. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonym Posted 3 January , 2012 Share Posted 3 January , 2012 My mother's family were from Woolwich and I was born exactly nine years after that photo (May 1927) and wonder how many, if any, are my past relatives??? Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 3 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 3 January , 2012 My mother's family were from Woolwich and I was born exactly nine years after that photo (May 1927) and wonder how many, if any, are my past relatives??? Tony Indeed, Tony, some could be family. Unfortunately, in WWI not much effort appears to have been made to get names of people in British photos... in WWII a lot more effort seems to have been made, presumably for morale purposes. These are some of the women who kept my grandfather (and a lot other people's grandfathers) supplied with ammo... I see these photos, the women always look cheerful, and I wonder how many of them have lost their menfolk. They were in many ways "in action". Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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