bringing relics from the battlefield

[wainfleet]

I am quite happy to share my own experience as a warning, it has been mentioned here before. My car was directed out of the queue at Calais and surrounded by Police and 'Artificers' I was taken into custody and the car searched, bottom line, they took out about 5 kilograms of shrapnel balls (for melting down and turning into lead soldiers) an oiler and several fuzes, all fired relics, none with gaines attached. That was it, nothing else. Things were a bit more complicated and uncomfortable than that, but I received a verbal warning and signed a document several pages long saying that I understood the law regarding the transportation of explosives and weapons in France and across borders.

If anyone not in a uniform or who doesn't work as a customs or police officer at the Calais border tells you what you can and cannot take through and what your rights are then run, run away.

I had a similar experience at Calais, about 20 years ago so things may have changed since then. A group of us were stopped and one of us had a number of items confiscated, including about six bayonets that he had bought perfectly legally. The logic of stopping bayonets leaving the country was and remains beyond me. I can only assume this particular Douane post felt it was about time they had a "result".

I have found British customs to be an okay lot, on the whole. I cannot say the same for the French and Belgian services, who seem to have a much more authoritarian, self-important attitude.

[trajan]

...one of us had a number of items confiscated, including about six bayonets that he had bought perfectly legally. The logic of stopping bayonets leaving the country was and remains beyond me. I can only assume this particular Douane post felt it was about time they had a "result"...

Could well be the case of the latter - needing a result. But as I posted earlier, some countries do have this 'patrimony' issue, which means that nothing old from the country can leave the country even if bought legally. For example, none of the bayonets in my collection can ever leave Turkey as they are part of the country's patrimony.

On the other hand, and asociated with my first point, could simply be a case of custom's pre-empting the laws of the country the bayonets were going to as these are 'offensive weapons' in that country... I lost a really nice digging / camping knife, a Chinese-madeTurkish-issue AK 47 bayonet, when leaving the Ukraine once, even though I had arrived there with it THREE years running - but lost it two years ago after it was seen on X-ray (in my checked-in luggage!) because the Ukraine departure security guys said it was an illegal weapon in Turkey... Mind you had to laugh later as the security guy kept saying 'I have to take it, This GUN can kill people'!

Trajan

[Gunner Bailey]

As always common sense must prevail. Listen to Rod's wise words.

In April I was able to do some field walking with a Forum Pal Torrey and his friend Ted from the US. In a couple of hours we had picked up about 70 pounds of shrapnel which I hope to sell in my shop in July for Help For Heros.

On that trip we found no obviously dangerous stuff but in the past I have seen shells in good condition, Minenwerfers and more that were clearly full of explosives and in good condition. In Verdun ( Le Mort Homme) I found a gas shell and you could hear the liquid slopping about inside - a veritable horror story in the making. Leave them where they are.

Also with the London Olympics security has tightened at the Tunnel and Calais. So don't be silly!

John