Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 4 May , 2012 Share Posted 4 May , 2012 Hello all We were at La Boisselle last month and found this cartridge case in a mole hill i'm sure someone will know if its British, French or German. Markings on bottom are 14 ? 5 ( I think its a 5 or its an S or a wrong way round 2) BM All the best Dazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 4 May , 2012 Share Posted 4 May , 2012 It is a German 7.92x57mm case made in 1914, but are you sure it is "BM" and not "DM"? There is no manufacturer using the code "BM" but Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DM) is one of the largest and most often seen makers. I would expect the complete headstamp to be something like "DM S 67 14". Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 4 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2012 Cheers Tony Thanks for the quick reply it is stamped DM my mistake and my mate found it not in mole hils but the earth excavated next to rabbit holes. He also found a bullet head in the fields behind Serre Road Cemetery No1. That is definatly not 303. All the best Dazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 4 May , 2012 Share Posted 4 May , 2012 Probably German as well. Post a picture and we can identify it. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 4 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2012 I'll have to go and see him he kept the bullet and he gave me the case. Dazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 6 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2012 My mate dropped off the bullet he found outside Serre Road Cemetery No 1 so here is a picture of it. Dazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 7 May , 2012 Share Posted 7 May , 2012 Difficult to be sure but the tail end of the bullet appears to be tapered - if so, then this a French Balle D with part of the case still attached. SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huwrevans Posted 9 May , 2012 Share Posted 9 May , 2012 Sorry to be cheeky but would you mind too much if I asked a question on the identification of apiece of a round I found last year halfway along the tach to Millroad cemetery? Can't decipher any marks on the base due to corrosion. Thanks (and apologies for being cheeky) Huw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 9 May , 2012 Share Posted 9 May , 2012 Looks like a broken British 303 cartridge case to me. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 10 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2012 Yep it does taper off towards the rear Dazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 10 May , 2012 Share Posted 10 May , 2012 Yep it does taper off towards the rear Dazz Looking at the scale given by the ruler the length is 40mm, your bullet has to be a French 8mm Balle D as I previously stated. The piece of cartridge case from Huw is a bit more difficult but looking at the chamfer of the rim which appears to show an upwards curve towards the body, I guess that is also French for an 8mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 13 May , 2012 Share Posted 13 May , 2012 I agree that the bullet appears to be a French 8mm Balle D. If it is, it should have manufacturer and date details stamped into the base of the bullet. The remains of the cartridge case are difficult to identify from the picture. If it is a .303 inch, then the rim diameter will be 13.44mm and the base diameter immediately above the rim 11.65mm. If an 8mm Lebel the measurements will be 15.99mm and 13.76mm respectively. The picture suggests the latter. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 Couple of items found on the Somme in the vicinity of Gueudecourt. The minié balls I thought at first to be revolver rounds until I watched a programme on the American Civil War!! The second item doesn't look as though it's been snapped and the metal is obviously quite cheap and deteriorating. The nose is very sharp. Any ideas? I found them walking around fields near the Newfoundland Memorial in the mid 1990's. Near Couin we found a Roman nail. The area covers a whole depth of man's history. We never used a metal detector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 I think you were right first time. Those are Webley .455 inch Mark II bullets. They should be c 11.5mm in diameter, but if they were Minie balls they would be 15mm diameter (.577 inch) The other bullet is from an armour piercing round. It appears to be a German SmK bullet (Spitzgeschoss mit Kern). These have a tungsten steel core (which will resist rust) surrounded by a thin lead sheath and then a nickel coated steel envelope. The envelope has rusted and the tip has corroded away leaving the core exposed. They came into service in 1915 for use against british sniper shields but were later mostly used against tanks. Quite an unusual find. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 HI That's brilliant and you've solved a 15 year old puzzle. The "minié" are both c 11.5mm in diameter so would be revolver bullets. You also gave me the answer in an earlier post in this thread to another bullet I found somewhere on the Somme; it's turned out to be a French 8mm Balle D Many thanks Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 30 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 May , 2012 Thanks for the replies and info the round does have details stamped into the bottom need to get my magnifying glass out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flashman V.C. Posted 30 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 May , 2012 Thanks for the replies and info the round does have details stamped into the bottom need to get my magnifying glass out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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