Surveyor Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Just bought this tin I was going to paint it the traditional brown but looking at it the tin is blue mainly with some red, blue makes me think RAF. Any clues what would have been the original colour and where can I get it. There is some writing on the side which looks like it could say FUSE, but not sure, looking at the lid markings any idea of what would be in it, the handles look as though it could be heavy. The catch is incomplete and would any one have a picture of what it should look like Thanks in advance Richard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Dwyer Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 (edited) Any help? A Edited October 27, 2023 by Adrian Dwyer add photo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Suslowicz Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 (edited) Stencil would have said FUZ117 and apparently they were for 25pdr shells. (I just put M104 Ammunition into DuckDuckGo and it brought up several examples.) The catches are complete, the plate above them takes a wire that goes around the lid clip (under the 'hump') and has a crimped on lead seal applied at the factory after filling and final inspection as an anti-tampering/theft measure. Chris. Edited October 27, 2023 by Chris Suslowicz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Dwyer Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 See <https://talesfromthesupplydepot.blog/2018/03/03/m104-ammunition-box/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Your box was made by the Austin Motor Co. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 Gents many thanks for all these much wiser I think i can assume the blue was a latter life paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Dwyer Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Afternoon. I think your tin was probably painted to match an old Land Rover! I have a H50 box in a darker blue which, it has been suggested, denotes ammunition natures supplied to police and other non-MoD users. This comes under the heading of interesting to know but not verified! The 'Tales from the supply depot' link is useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 Now you have said that it makes sense. Well it's a tool box now for my army Land rover so ammunition brown it it Thanks all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 One of these tins was left after the war in my grand parents chicken hut....together with an american wooden ammobox with rope handles. But the last was very rotten. The metal one must still be somerwhere in my cellar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Dwyer Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 2 hours ago, Citroman said: One of these tins was left after the war in my grand parents chicken hut....together with an american wooden ammobox with rope handles. But the last was very rotten. The metal one must still be somerwhere in my cellar. Can you remember if it still showed the stencilling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 (edited) I am not shure but as far as i can remember it was completely rust covered. The strange thing is the nearest British troops were some 10 kms away. Our region was liberated by the Americans. In a field oposite my grand parents house there were some US howitzers stationed for few weeks that shot into germany. The force from the blasts did damage the front door. Edited October 28, 2023 by Citroman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted October 29, 2023 Author Share Posted October 29, 2023 14 hours ago, Citroman said: I am not shure but as far as i can remember it was completely rust covered. The strange thing is the nearest British troops were some 10 kms away. Our region was liberated by the Americans. In a field oposite my grand parents house there were some US howitzers stationed for few weeks that shot into germany. The force from the blasts did damage the front door. Thats interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 (edited) To ad some to that story on the other side of the house in the edge off the forrest the americans had some piper cubs stationed for the artillery. We did some metal detecting there and found a jeep sidelamp cover and some flattend food tins. 😉 Edited October 29, 2023 by Citroman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Dwyer Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 Moving slightly off topic - but sticking with the ammo box theme - when I was in the Falklands (which seems like a very long time ago now) backfilled trenches were a rich source of empty and full ammunition containers (as well as some more unwelcome discoveries). A 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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