SON OF MYSTERY OBJECT

[Tom Morgan]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the battlefields..........

I found this object in the field next to the Lochnagar Crater at La Boisselle, just on the position of the German front line.

Any ideas?

It's a solid piece of brass with the remains of a close-fitting ring or collar which will slip off either end. The round parts of the object have 6 thin grooves machined in. There's a little brass or copper ring stuck over the pointed end.

It is definitely not any kind of bullet.

Tom

[Tom Morgan]

another view with the collar in place

Tom

[Paul Reed]

If I hadn't seen you at Le Tommy the other day, Tom, I'd think you were making these things up in your shed!!

[Mike_H]

Tom

Your mystery object is the firing pin from a Hale's rodded rifle grenade, probably a No.20 MkI or II. The "collar" is the remains of the detonator holder which has been ripped apart and forced backwards when the grenade detonated. Look at the pointed end and you should see a rust mark which will be the remains of a fine steel pin embedded in the brass, this pin was what made contact with the cap to fire the detonator.

The firing pin was held in a tube aligned with the base the detonator which ran lengthways through the centre of the cylindrical head of the grenade. It was held back by a soft brass creep spring and two small brass pegs which in turn were retained by a brass collar round the outside of the base the grenade just ahead of the rod. When the grenade was fired the shock of discharge caused the collar to "set back" and the pegs dropped out leaving your pin floating free in the central tube against the creep spring. On impact the pin slid forward and fired the detonator - BANG!

Hope this helps

Mike_H

[Tom Morgan]

Paul:-

It was nice to see you and yours again. I hadn't thought of making these things myself, even though the accusation was levelled against me by those who were stumped by the last mystery object. (Probably the same disgruntled Pals at the forum dinner who put about the malicious rumour that it was toilet-roll holder.)

I still don't know what it was/is.

Mike H:-

You're dead right - there is the rusted remnant of something very small at the end of the pointy part. Thanks very much for such a clear description. As a clincher, I did see the head of an unexploded Hales rifle-grenade in the same area, with the remnants of the rod attached. I recognised it at once from its external appearance, but can't match your knowledge of the internal parts. Thanks very much for solving the problem.

Tom