Help with markings on a 18PR shell casing

[Heidi_mac]

Hi. I was wondering if someone could tell me what all the markings on this casing mean - i do not have any military knowledge but am guessing this is from a British 18 pounder cannon.  It looks like is may have been refilled a few times is this correct? I thought the OMG might be the company but could not find anything about this.  I have had these for years from grandparents who I think used as door stops!

Thanks in advance.  Heidi

[peregrinvs]

That’s had an busy life. Amongst other things it appears to have a 1920’s dated primer.

 

The experts will be along soon to give you a full translation, but I believe it’s Canadian, was inspected on 28 August 1917, was reloaded once, was modified from original spec (* marking next to the MkII), has been annealed and had a stereoscope test. I believe OMG is a batch code.

[Heidi_mac]

Thanks for your help.  I have another one that also has a lot of markings on it. What tells you the origin - as you mentioned above Canadian? 

[14276265]

The first case was made by one of four production lines at the Canadian Cartridge Co., Hamilton, Canada - the CCS monogram at 3 o'clock. It was made in 1917 and accepted for filling 22 August 1917, passed by inspector 6, with Canadian acceptance stamp applied (broad arrow in a C). The lot code is OMG -  xxx a letter incrementing code for each lot of 400 cartridge cases made; the previous lot would have been OMF and the following OMH. 

 

It was filled twice. On return to UK after first firing it was repaired at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich - RL in a rectangle, and ultimately stored, filled and re-primed in or after 1925. The No.1 MkII primer was made at Woolwich November 1924 and filled May 1925. The A in a diamond denotes low temperature annealing at first repair and the S in a diamond a hardness test using a Scleroscope.

 

The second case was made by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick plant, Newcastle-on-Tyne  - EOC monogram. Made in 1918, lot identifier A3754. It has been filled three times - two refills, both by Woolwich. It has been low temperature annealed twice (A in diamond ad two punch marks above the 18pr) and hardness tested (S in a diamond). There are abundant acceptance stamps of arrows with numbers and/or letters.

 

The primer markings are interesting but are WWII dated so not up for discussion. (Any explanation of WWII markings will invite one particular moderator to immediately lock the thread.)

 

 

 

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Edited 9 November , 2019 by 14276265

[Heidi_mac]

Thanks so much for all the information, really appreciate it.