Jeff Glasser Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) A few years ago we had a problem with subsidense alongside the main (23-05) runway at Dunkeswell, and sticking his arm into one of the large drains along side the runway, (like you do) and having a rummage around (it was dry) my friend pulled out this, which I believe to be a .50 cal? bullet. It has R A 42 on the blunt end. The bullet itself was hollow, with a coloured powder inside. It was obviousley a dud, it has a dent in the casing, and the mark where the firing pin hit is off centre. I can only imagine that some gunner flung it there from his P.B.4.Y. Liberator in frustration to be found 60 odd years later! I like to conjure up visions like this! It polished up well after emptying the contents, and sits in my study (sounds posh does'nt it) I'm amazed at how it survived all this time in a storm drain! Any comments, Jeff Edited December 24, 2009 by Jeff Glasser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) if its 50 cal the bullet will be around 12mm maybe was a tracer if had powder inside the bullet. I got a mills hand grenade at home. Amazing how everyone wants to pull the pin, they get a bit disconcerted when smoke comes out. I used to fit a roll of caps under the centre pin, no noise but gave a little puff of smoke Edited December 24, 2009 by fesm_ndt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 A few years ago, they found demolition charges under the runway at HMS Daedalus. From Wikipedia: "In April/May 2006, whilst conducting repairs to the runway, building crews discovered an unexploded pipe bomb, of over 60 feet long, placed underneath the runway by the military, designed to cripple the airfield's operational capabilities in the event of a German invasion. The bomb (along with 19 others subsequently discovered) was scheduled to be removed in September 2006. The work was completed on 24 October 2006." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAS_Lee-on-Solent_(HMS_Daedalus) It makes you wonder what could be left at other former airfield sites. :shake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Nice find RA=Remington Arms, Bridgeport, Conneticut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Glasser Posted December 24, 2009 Author Share Posted December 24, 2009 Mike, It's a touch under 5 1/2 " long. I also thought tracer. lol at the grenade joke! That must concentrate their thoughts for a second or two!! ___________________________________________________________________ Johnny, I remember reading about those finds at H.M.S. Daedalus. There is an excellent museum at Dunkeswell, it was started many years ago when some lads who started the museum found lots of stuff around the airfield and started a collection. Well worth a visit if your ever in Devon __________________________________________________________________ Bodge, thanks for the explanation of R A on the bottom of the casing. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Mike, It's a touch under 5 1/2 " long. I also thought tracer. lol at the grenade joke! That must concentrate their thoughts for a second or two!! Jeff yeah, it's somewhere in my boxes of stuff back in Aus, had it since '84 I guess. One guy who pulled the pin and saw the smoke, dropped it in his girfriend's lap as he was bolting out the door. Needless to say that romance faltered. The guy I got the grenade of also had these ceramic ones which had a cap that screwed off. Under that was a rolled length of flat rope/string. I am guessing some sort of trip device but never seen anything like it ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 yeah, it's somewhere in my boxes of stuff back in Aus, had it since '84 I guess. One guy who pulled the pin and saw the smoke, dropped it in his girfriend's lap as he was bolting out the door. Needless to say that romance faltered. The guy I got the grenade of also had these ceramic ones which had a cap that screwed off. Under that was a rolled length of flat rope/string. I am guessing some sort of trip device but never seen anything like it ever since. These strings would unwrap when thrown starting the ignition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 These strings would unwrap when thrown starting the ignition. being ceramic, post war????? Any idea of the name, I'll look it up? I always thought odd as the Mills ww2 era, as in Vietnam Aus used (I can't remember) the one with I think 80m of wire in it, and phosphorous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) being ceramic, post war????? Any idea of the name, I'll look it up? I always thought odd as the Mills ww2 era, as in Vietnam Aus used (I can't remember) the one with I think 80m of wire in it, and phosphorous. Take a look here; http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fototime.com/8982EF2D602127E/orig.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thedonovan.com/archives/grenades/&usg=__wuFMEm8aTY_Rsa3LkwUZscrzL9I=&h=445&w=470&sz=49&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=f59ID30TVZ0eHM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrenade%2Bstring%2Blead%2Bignition%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1I7ADSA_nl%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1 Edited December 24, 2009 by Marmite!! photo link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Take a look here;http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fototime.com/8982EF2D602127E/orig.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thedonovan.com/archives/grenades/&usg=__wuFMEm8aTY_Rsa3LkwUZscrzL9I=&h=445&w=470&sz=49&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=f59ID30TVZ0eHM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrenade%2Bstring%2Blead%2Bignition%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1I7ADSA_nl%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1 yep that was it...... Never saw them in the Commando comics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 as Enigma shows it is a number 69 grenade fromm ww2 but is in fact bakelite not ceramic and quite rare in comparisn to the more normal mills grenade Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 as Enigma shows it is a number 69 grenade fromm ww2 but is in fact bakelite not ceramic and quite rare in comparisn to the more normal mills grenadeNigel Yep was reading the bit about being bakelite. Must have been this as was way back in '84 and I never wanted much to do with them as a mills is easy, unscrew the bottom and take the fuse out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 A few years ago, they found demolition charges under the runway at HMS Daedalus. From Wikipedia: "In April/May 2006, whilst conducting repairs to the runway, building crews discovered an unexploded pipe bomb, of over 60 feet long, placed underneath the runway by the military, designed to cripple the airfield's operational capabilities in the event of a German invasion. The bomb (along with 19 others subsequently discovered) was scheduled to be removed in September 2006. The work was completed on 24 October 2006." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAS_Lee-on-Solent_(HMS_Daedalus) It makes you wonder what could be left at other former airfield sites. :shake: When I lived in Martlesham Heath, rumour had it that there were two of these under the old runway, and only one was found when they demolished it and built the housing estate. Waiting for the bang during any building works became a local past-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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