Tom Morgan Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 This was found on the Somme. It's a tube, made of one-sixteenth of an inch brass, five inches in length and half an inch outside diameter. One end is open and the other end is closed apart from a quarter-inch hole. No threads or markings anywhere. The last three-eights of an inch of the closed end is very finely knurled. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Milner Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 Tom It reminds me of some form of cartridge, perhaps the one used to detonate the Bangalore Torpedo. I have just reread the article in Stand To! No 66 page 42. There is not a detailed drawing of the detonation mechanism, but from the description in the text your relic could be a possibility. John Milner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Furnell Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 Hello Tom. Very interesting. Does the quarter inch hole look as though it may have had a percussion cap in it? Is there a lip at the closed end? Looks like some kind of cartridge to me. Maybe the handle of a grenade,although using brass a quarter of an inch thick for a grenade handle seems a little bit of a waste. Early anti-tank weapons,at least in the second world war,seem to have been of half inch calibre,the Boys Anti-Tank Weapon of the 30's being one example. Not to up on Anti-Tank weapons during WW1,but any chance that this maybe an early Anti-Tank shell casing,from the latter part of the war? Very interested by this. Regards. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Hello Simon and John, Thanks for your comments. Here's another picture showing the closed end of the tube: This is formed by the end of the tube being pressed around the part with the hole. This part is also brass, and looking through the hole I can see that this component is the same thickness as the rest of the tube - about one-sixteenth of an inch. There's no lip of any kind. And here's a side-view of the same end of the tube, showing the knurling. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Tom, when I have no clue I always claim it's a bit of harness since almost no one knows harness any more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Tom, I can't tell from the pictures but is there a chance it is hand made? This thing could be older than you first thought. Remember the Albert to Bapaume was built by the Romans! I've read some where that there are around 250(?) Gallo Roman sites located in the area and I also remember reading about a British soldier who unearthed a Bronze Age axe head while digging a sap on the Somme. This could just be something from ages gone by. If you can make it to the dinner in Ypres on 12 April bring it along and we'll have a look see. All the best, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Milner Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Tom In the photos the piece containing the hole does not look flat, and also looks slightly raised above the main casing, if so, it would not provide a reliable gas seal if fired from a rifle. Also, there does not appear to be an ejector groove around the casing which would prevent it being removed fron the breech of a rifle after firing. I still think it is some form of detonator, with the knurled part providing grip in the initiator/explosive charge. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Furnell Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Tom. Did you notice the 2 grooves on the base,at about 11 o'clock and 5 o'clock? They seem to be almost perfectly in line. I am no expert,but i don't think it is part of a Bangalore Torpedo. They were made of tin so as there was not alot of shrapnel from the explosion that might hurt friendlies that had not had the chance to get far enough away. You wouldn't want a huge lump of Brass like this coming at you,even 30yds away. Still thinking. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 9 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2003 A composite reply: - Paul - the harness explanation is a good get-out and I'll use it in future with your permission. In return, I give you, "Errr... I'm pretty sure it's part of the reciprocating blanch-feed cutoff from a Lewis gun. Of course, you don't see that component lying around very often........." Jon - It's possibly hand made, but the knurling on the end looks as if it has been machined. I suspect it isn't that ancient - just something about the quality of the tube makes it look modern. My main worry now is that someone's going to post a picture of an identical bit of metal and say it's a well-known part which is renowned for falling off 1925 Peugeot tractors I will be there on the 12th and I will bring it along. John - The piece with the hole does look rounded in the picture but this is down to two things, the massive enlargement so it would be easier to see, and the shadow effect which the scanner has added. The piece in reality isn't as curved as it looks. Simon - the big enlargement also exaggerates the little blemishes. Although they look like substantial "slots" on the enlargement, they are just little scratches/dents. When you have the unit in your hand you can see that they're accidental. The real mystery for me is that over many years of field-walking and looking at bits and pieces in museums, I feel sure that I should recognise such a big (relatively speaking) component either as a "thing" in its own right or as part of something else which I've seen but it doesn't ring any bells at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Tom... Just thought I'd bring this back to the top to see if any of the current pals might have another go at guessing what this might be. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 12 July , 2004 Share Posted 12 July , 2004 Tom, I also remember reading about a British soldier who unearthed a Bronze Age axe head while digging a sap on the Somme. Where is this from? Can you give me a reference? It's certainly not prehistoric. Reminds me of the business end of a bike pump, but what do I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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