Shell identification

[alan found]

Hello, looking for help identifying the makers of 2 shells. One has a mark EQK and a "target" emblem, the other I think is a French shell.  Any help appreciated, thanks in advance, Alan  

[peregrinvs]

The first one is a Canadian made MkII 18 Pounder cartridge case. (Not shell) The monogram is the maker mark for the Canadian Cartridge Company of Hamilton Ontario. EQK is a batch code. It has a British primer made by Royal Laboratories and it was passed for inspection on 8th August 1917. Loaded once with a full charge of Cordite.

 

The second is a French M1897 75mm cartridge case.

[alan found]

Major Peregrinvs, thank you very much indeed that is very helpful, Alan

[lizbet]

Thank you for this information. I'm interested in shell workers in Hamilton ON Canada in WWI and this sets me in the right direction to find out if they employed any women. 

 

 

"Sir Frank Wilton Baillie collaborated with the owners of the Chadwick Brass Company in Hamilton to set up the large Canadian Cartridge Company Limited, of which he became president and Frank Wood vice-president. Baillie began with about 200 workers but he would eventually employ 900 to manufacture brass cartridge cases for the British government. In August 1915 he won a lucrative contract to produce two million 18-pounder cases by promising to return any profits on the second million. By reorganizing production to cut costs drastically, he was able to turn over $758,248 in a well-publicized gesture in July 1916. Other manufacturers were “very disturbed” by this move, according to Joseph Wesley Flavelle*, chairman of the Imperial Munitions Board, the agency in Canada that contracted with the British government, and none took up his example. That year Baillie also made sure that the growing discontent among Hamilton’s munitions workers did not disrupt production at either Canadian Cartridge or Burlington Steel by conceding the nine-hour day just before the outbreak of a bitter strike in most other metalworking plants in Hamilton. " extract from http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/baillie_frank_wilton_15E.html 

 

[Mickjam]

Here is a picture of another shell case ,one of many brought up from the SS Luis , sunk of the coast of the Isle of Wight ,by a submarine in 1918 ,

She was on her way from Nova Scotia to England with a hold full of 18 lb shells .

i take it that the CC0 mark is from the same  factory ?

Edited 21 November , 2019 by Mickjam

[lizbet]

Thank you , the second shell is a great find. I'd like to incorporate the photo into the remembrance at https://astreetnearyou.org/person/355029/Second-Engineer-Robert-Coulson with a comment about the Hamilton connection to the shell with your permission and an acnowledgement. 

[Mickjam]

Hi Lizbet

that will be fine by me.

 

Mick