1st AIF Posted 21 July , 2016 Share Posted 21 July , 2016 My wife found these at Idiot Corner at Westhoek Ridge today. One looks like a cap chinstrap button/badge - but which regiment? The second is a weird looking thing - it's about the same size as the cartridge case. It may be electro plated silver. It has holes in both ends and one in the middle. The knob like thing may be threaded so you can open the cylinder up but at the moment it is jammed. The hole at one end looks like it is for attaching a string or lanyard. The hole at the other end is round and is at the end of the knob.(No jokes please). I have no idea whether it is WW1 related but was found in the vicinity of the cap badge and cartridge case. The cartridge case is for size reference. Regards, Len Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 22 July , 2016 Share Posted 22 July , 2016 The shiny cylinder reminds me of the innards of a trench lighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 22 July , 2016 Share Posted 22 July , 2016 Nice finds but no idea about the weird looking thing, the button is a general service button, have a look at the linked thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 22 July , 2016 Share Posted 22 July , 2016 A wild guess here Len but could it be some sort of whistle? Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Karno's Army Posted 22 July , 2016 Share Posted 22 July , 2016 Hi guys,looks very similiar to a laser pointer pen ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st AIF Posted 22 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2016 Dear Fred, Phoebus, Tony and Mancpal, Thank you gentlemen for your replies. I googled trench lighters and thought that this was the answer because it did look remarkably similar. But honestly Fred's photo fits it superbly as a laser pointer (dammit). The hole in the middle of the cylinder has some rust and the whole object superimposes logically over the field find. A case of wishful thinking versus strong evidence. All three objects were found within 5 metres of a suburban back fence on Westhoek. We haven't written off the that it is a trench lighter and I guess we have to open up the inside to answer the riddle. Len Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 23 July , 2016 Share Posted 23 July , 2016 To me it looks insufficiently corroded and too stylistically modern to be WW1. I suspect whatever it is has been in that field for 30 years at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bent Posted 11 April Share Posted 11 April I am visiting the Westhoek area in September of this year. Can anyone give me the exact location of Idiot Corner? I can see Idiot trench, Idiot Ave, etc on war maps but not Idiot Corner. Thanks. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 11 April Share Posted 11 April Chris, Chasseaud gives it as 28.I.12.d.2.6 which would seem to put it at the bend in Idiot Avenue: AWM image sourced from Anzac Portal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bent Posted 11 April Share Posted 11 April That's brilliant. Thank you so much. We often stay at the Hotel Kasteelhof 't Hooge which is really close and are doing so in September. Best regards. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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