18 PDR ?

[mutley]

I have just been given a cruciform shaped piece of metal with a lip at the top of each leg and two holes on two of the legs. It is approx 4.5" from tip to tip. It has the following marked on it:

18PR B.P.

H Co.Ltd

Does anyone know what it is or what it was for from my poor description??

[Terry Carter]

Hi Mutley

What dastardly description you gave (short pause while you laugh your socks off). If the item is Brass, then it sounds like the part that fitted over the bottom end of the Brass shell case to protect the firing mechanism during transport. You find them now and again whilst walking around the battlefields.

Terry

[Conor Dodd]

They went on the bottom of the 18 Pr. and there were straps through each of the holes to pull them out easy, the lips clicked onto the bottom and they would just knock them of with some sort a hammer. They are black in colour when they come out of the soil but I think the were originaly orange. I have one that has orange paint on it and it is black where it has come off. I'm not quite to sure what the proper name for them was I have about 20 or so and can only make out the markings on 1 of them 18 Pr M & C.

Conor

[mutley]

Many thanks to you both, the one I have has some red paint on it with a black under coat. Another puzzle solved. thanks.

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

If you go to the diggers site at >

http://www.diggers.be/E/activiteiten/bommen/welkom.htm

then do a word search for - spaghetti - it will take you to a photo of an unfired Brit 18 pounder round with the crucifix still in place. Regards - Tom

[mutley]

Thanks Tom for the info on the diggers web site, the excellent pictures confirm what was already suggested. Lots of good pictures on that site, amazing really how some of the thinsg survive in such a good condition after all this time. Thanks again. Conor thanks for you email, nothing else to identify at the moment, but thanks anyway.