Pages

Popular Posts

Search This Blog

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Goose Hill

Some more information on the cartridges found. The range in dates and manufactures is quite fascinating as is presented below:
Defence Industries, Verdun, Canada - two cartridges (both 1944 and both with a nitro-cellulose propellant - prefix "z" - both fired by a rifle); head stamp DI  z
South African Mint, Pretoria, S.A - one cartridge fired by a rifle (date 1943); head stamp U
ICI, Kynoch, Yeading, Hayes, Middlesex - one cartridge fired by a MG (date 1941); head stamp K4
Crompton Parkinson Ltd, Doncaster, Yorks - one cartridge fired by a MG (date 1942); head stamp C-P
Kynoch & Co, Witton, Birmingham - two cartridges (one fired by a MG, date 1940 and one fired by a rifle, date 1939); head stamp K
Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal, Kent - three cartridges (one fired by a MG, date 1939 and two fired by rifles, dates 1928 and 1929); head stamp R L
Crompton Parkinson Ltd, Guiseley, Yorks - three cartridges (one fired by a MG, date 1942 and two by a rifle, dates both 1941); head stamp CP
Royal Ordanance Factory, Radway Green, Cheshire - two cartridges (one fired by a MG, date 1941 and one by a rifle, date 1941); head stamp is WO arrow
Greenwood and Batley, Leeds, UK - two cartridges (one fired by MG, date 1941 and one by a rifle, date 1941); head stamp GB
Winchester Repeating Arms Co, New Haven, Conn., USA - one cartridge fired by a MG, date 1942; head stamp WRA
Dominion Cartridge Co, Canada, one cartridge fired by a MG, date 1941; head stamp DC
In addition were four cartridges fired by MG where no date/head stamp could be read and also four fired by a rifle.
I also found one .300" cartridge fired by a rifle (would have been USA 1917 model or USA Springfield) - manufactured by Dominican Cartridge Co, Montreal, Qubec, Canada (head stamp R), date 1941.
So if my maths is right 29 cartridges, 12 factories, two calibres and dates from 1928 - 1944.  Just to the south, where the Sizewell Power station now stands was a rifle range (often referred to in War Diaries), so this area was certainly in use for training as well as defence right through the war.  Finally I also found a complete clip of five 303's (although the charger clip had all but rotted away in the acidic sandy soil).
Top photo - difference between a rifle (right hand)  and MG (left hand)  fired cartridge
Second down - .300" cartridge - note lack of a rim.
Third down - clip of five 303's - note the cordite propellant clearly showing in the damaged cartridges



























No comments:

Post a Comment