JJen Posted 4 May , 2020 Share Posted 4 May , 2020 Hi, I was hoping to get some extra help in this piece of art I acquired from an estate sale in Cumbrai. I believe it is Canadian which is why I bought it. Made in 1916. I think MLW is Montreal Locomotive Works but not sure. A beautifully made, hoping it is authentic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thatww1pigeon Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 Hi there. Tried some research on MLW, got nothing really. But generally during the war almost all businesses were pitching into the war effort. Locomotive works seems genuine enough. If you were looking for verification on if it was from the war, the answer is yes. Not much other knowledge I have though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJen Posted 5 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2020 Thanks for the reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thatww1pigeon Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 Yep, no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 'List of Firms whose stores are inspected by DIGA (S) and DIMA giving trade marks and initials of firms' (HMSO, London 1916) gives M.L.W. as Montreal Locomotive Co, Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 1 hour ago, Simon R said: 'List of Firms whose stores are inspected by DIGA (S) and DIMA giving trade marks and initials of firms' (HMSO, London 1916) gives M.L.W. as Montreal Locomotive Co, Canada. Hi Simon, any idea of who WBC the maker of the Primer is ? Cheers Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 At the six o’clock position near the rim, but above the number, is a stamp of the broad arrow enclosed by a C. This indicates ownership by the Canadian govt. Your thought of manufacture in Canada is therefore correct. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 I can't yet find WBCC in the list I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 5 May , 2020 Share Posted 5 May , 2020 8 hours ago, JMB1943 said: indicates ownership by the Canadian govt Both shell case and primer have the arrow in C stamp, which in these cases indicate Canadian Government inspection and acceptance rather than "ownership" per see. Of course from the point of inspection and acceptance, the contractor would have received final payment and the articles would have passed into government ownership. My point being that the meaning in this case relates much more to inspection and acceptance as having passed various inspection tests with ownership being a very much secondary issue. A point that has not been commented on is that both the case and the primer appear to have only been fired the once and not reconditioned and re-used. Cheers Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 6 May , 2020 Share Posted 6 May , 2020 Ross, Inspection and acceptance---you are absolutely right---thanks for picking up on that. I did also miss the stamp on the primer, and the fact that both case and primer had only been used once. Surprising, since it was made in 1916. Do you happen to know how many times they could be safely re-used? Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 6 May , 2020 Share Posted 6 May , 2020 Hi JMB An 18pr shell case could be used 3 times in total, subject to successful inspections and annealing. The primer could only be used twice. Each received multiple markings from the firm conducting the refurbishment and inspection stamps when the article was accepted. Most of the 18pr shell cases discussed on the forum have been used at least twice. Cases are mostly dated 1916 or latter, assume that 1914 & 1915 cases were mostly cycled through their maximum number of uses and melted down. The value of the brass was sufficient that the army did not like loosing cases - they still don't. Cheers Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 6 May , 2020 Share Posted 6 May , 2020 (edited) Broad arrow C - even more specifically, for land service. 'List of stamps used by the dept. of inspection of munitions' (Woolwich 1918) indicates 'stores accepted for Canadian Land Service' (section A, stamps used on gun ammunition). Edited 6 May , 2020 by Simon R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJen Posted 11 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2020 Thanks for your replies over my inquiries. While Ive admired Trench art for many years, this is my first piece. Id like to learn more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 11 May , 2020 Share Posted 11 May , 2020 A good general guide is 'Trench Art', by Nicholas Saunders published in 2001. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now