Photos in this post don't show on here for me. They are links to warrelics forum that say I can't view them.
Owen Thats a bugger.. It would seem you have your security settings a tad too high ...I don't use the web site format as I hate this style of posting photos at th ebottom of the post ~ Spoils the entire post IMO ! I f I am doing it wrong the admins might let me know how to post a better way ~ My last post contain some 20 photos ~ ..
They don't need to be at the bottom of the post. Once attachments are uploaded you can "add to post". So you can write a little about an image and then place each photo where it's most relevant. Click cursor where you want the attachment placed in the reply window, then click 'add to post'. e.g. I uploaded illustrations and placed them where they originally were in the narrative. http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/58208-advance-of-guards-armoured-division-major-f-hennessy-grenadier-guards/?p=675860 It may not be as easy to see, but once an attachment is clicked/accessed, people can scroll through them all at full resolution.
Cheers mate I will try that technique ~ I have a another Hunt with spectacular results after Sunday and I will endeavour to try this out !
(Okay ~ trying the optional post system here ~ lest see how we go eh ! ) Last Sunday Ed and I headed out yet again real early ~ I planned a 'exploration ' hunt ~ and endeavour to expand our 'data base ' ~ We spent around 2 hours checking sites and rigged up and checked several sites ~ then debated the potentials and whether we should simply re-route and go to the extreme even further afield site ~ But we agreed we had spent enough time researching and we should just go work some of our regular sites ~ We headed to a near by site which we had looked at previously but decided ti was far too over grown with dense ground weeds ~ But as I insisted we should simply push through the ground tangle and head up the nearby hill ~ so off we went. I skirted the bush and then drove to the higher ground which almost instantly delivered for me when i hit a target area of around ONE square meter ~ I literally spent the later morning and afternoon in that one spot ~ I could not believe the target s in that one area~ Early results and in impressive condition ~ Ed. my MD mate did not do quite so well ~ and had a very mixed bag .. Seems i am really getting to grips with the Minelab CTX ~ Mid morning tally and Smoko ~ Ed's catch ~ real mixed bag .. but some nice webbing buckles.. I believe ~ as I explained to Ed, the buckles are US issue but by 1944, supplies of US military fittings were coming through to the Australian forces ~ My collection which included numerous King George V & VI silvers and coppers ~ plus ACP 45 and 9 mm rounds.. a good start for me I felt ! We split again after Smoko .. I headed out for a quick scout around before returning to the same site ~ We decided to call it a day around 15.00 and on the way back to base camp I dug a grubby dirty encrusted Rising Sun ~ I also dug a single unusual primer ~ Ed scored a cluster of unusually large primers ~ Any help appreciated ~ My primer wa same but smaller with no scribing! My final tally ~ But when I finally returned home and cleaned my relics I was totally blown away by some of the results ~ The AMF button has the original black enamel completely intact ~ amazing ~ But the Creme la Creme was the Rising Sun ..With absolute minimum cleaning ~ merely brushed under running water this has turned otu to be a STUNNING relic ~ This is one of ~ if not the BEST RIsing Sun example I have found to date absolutely stunning ! Immaculate!! So this was one of my long over due better days !
I have done some research on the primers and they are ~ βME 12/42 Qβ 1713 Okay ~ they are a QF MKI Fuze ~ ME ;Explosives Factory Maribyrnong (ME) β Maribyrnong; Melbourne, Victoria (1910β I have not established exactly the correct artillery piece but I suspect a they are from a 4 1/2" howitzer as they are way too large to fit the 25 Pounder shell base I dug !
We have been endeavouring to establish or confirm the site of a WWII camp site in the back country since April when i was advised by a workmate of a bottle dump and a rusted corrugated iorn water tank ~ I have mentioned this previously but all endeavours led to a fail ~ Yesterday two of us took the 4*4 into the site again~ This time we foudn the water tanks and a small modern (1970-80s) bottle dump! So over Smoko we debated the issue at hand and theorised the site ~ It certainly does not constitute a WWII AIF training camp ~ So we headed off to check out a 1930s caw mill camp site which consisted of a large number workers cabin/s site ~ But the entire site has been bulldozed and pushed int rows for burning ~ So we headed off again aiming for a site which i have worked many many times including my first Mills Bomb find! I actually did a hunt there on Sunday last with some limited success. Finds included a camera aperture piece, misc .455 projectiles and damaged webbing buckles ~ ( I am collecting the brass tent rings again and toss them into the scrap container for resale at scrap merchants. ) So we rocked up to the same well worn site but this time we came at the site with my same approach as Sunday with very respectable results ! A few hours resulted in the following ~ Ed 's find included two Rising Suns, one very sad but a worthwhile battle damaged piece IMO! I dug a 25 lber frag which I am planning to clean up ~ the rifling bands come up superbly! IMO a stunning result in a very short time in a well worn site purely based on a revised approach ~
Last week we did a hunt endeavouring to resolve the back country site.. Ironically the site we most pinned our optimism on was a total fail but we actually stumbled into an area which was very obviously a camp site or even training ground as all we found were a LE Oiler tube and a rusty barbed wire ~ but it is a perfect site.. flat and good ground ! We then pressed onto visit one of our favourite sites again~ I had a brilliant result with a ID tag ! My relics at the top ~ Ed's lower down Name JOHNSON, ROBERT GEORGE Service Australian Army Service Number VX37841 Date of Birth 19 Oct 1912 Place of Birth KOONDROOK, VIC Date of Enlistment 23 Jul 1940 Locality on Enlistment SWAN HILL, VIC Place of Enlistment ROYAL PARK, VIC Next of Kin JOHNSON, WILLIAM Date of Discharge 18 Dec 1945 Rank Lance Bombardier WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display Prisoner of War No The ironic part is that 'we' found this Digger has a direct link to an ol' mate's family in NZ !!!!!!!!!!
Thurs Another hunt ~ same spot as Ed and I did on Tues ~ The challenge being that the ground is just SO ^%%%%^& Hard ~ clay base and stones ~ But I was barely even rigged up and Wooh Hoo!! !!!!!! A Rising Sun ~ quickly followed by several coins ~ KG VI ~ This was followed by a number of webbing buckles and misc. But I really thought I would be replacing the Garrett Pick handle for the third time! Plenty of scrap brass to add to the bucket ~ including a very solid cable joiner ~ The two KG VI penny and 1/2 penny turned out to be a surprise as they were dated 1948 and 1949 The best of the two ~ and a stock AIF button I also dug ~ restored ~ Even dug a US .30 cal shell
MD buddy in Holland suggested a revised electrolysis method which I took on board and now instead of my relics laying and mellowing for a week these ( including mostly the best relics from the last two hunts this week ) ... 24 hours !!!!!! The top right buckle is definitely improved considering it was burnt ~ and I thought it was past saving but I will give it another session! The KG VI Penny ~ the 1/2 penny is being a tad more resilient ~ And the frag 25 lber second time around and in for another round same method ~
Fossick # 208 Solo hunt same site as previous ~ expanded search area ~ proved a theory of a now defunct road separating the current camp site and the replacement road actually trashing the original WWII camp site ! Started midday ~ by 14.00 hrs ready to quit but had a smoko and rested up ~ then moved sites with more positive results ~ turned into a good day ~ Heavily encrusted but has the pins intact ~ nice score ~ Now to see if the elctrolysis can save the day ! The AUSTRALIA badge is exceptional as it has the original black enamel 100% intact! The large brass piece is unknown purpose ??
Hatch ~ the good finds continue ~ and you will have to wait til Saturday's hunts ~ (today ~ LOL) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday ~ Invited one of our team members to join me on a hunt ! We had a lazy start and headed to a 'new ' site but it remains a quandary as the grass is way ~ way too heavy and dense ~ So we headed off to plan B ~ An old site ~ but always worth a look! The lower ground is pretty clear but at the top of the rise there is a lot of undergrowth and variety of low ground growth ~ I focused on the high ground in the theory that the high ground was also part of the camp ~ The area was/ is a fantastic MD and research access area ~ But results were poor ~ (Note the photos ~ Nice fish eye effect ~ but this was to prove the death knell for the dige camera ~ Long story short ~ which took most of Friday to sort ~ but in short ~ a new Nikon 70 series on the way ~ under warranty !) Paul was on a run ~ better still ~ his first Rsing Sun badges ~ and even better he dug two ! And an unusual trigger guard ! I remained focused on the high ground and paid the price ! But managed to retain some degree of dignity ~ After smoko I made some ground ~ included two KG V pennies ~ both 1927 ~ oh yeah ~ Odds on !??) ( Appreciate any suggestions on the SS 3 * hole disc (??)
Did a solo hunt yesterday~ Went back to the same area as Thursday ~ had planned to leave home around 10.00 but delays and BS saw me land on site around 12.30~ Much later than planned ~ Again scanned the high ground timber ~ a lot of ferrous signals and tent rings ~ SURELY cannot ALL be detritus ~ Makes no sense ~ Found a few bits and pieces ~ including on modern QE II 20 cent coin being the only coin! But was stoked to dig this ripper .. in excellent condition really after being buried in a WWII camp site for 70 years ~ (Since been suggested it is a US Machete ~ being some 110 mm longer than the old one we have at home ~ assuming the one at home is an Aust disposals piece ! ) Other finds for the day ~ The bottle is a modern beer but I have never seen one before ~
Update on that encrusted Rising Sun which many thought was past helping ~ ( Took three attempted in an electrolysis vat ~ the last being very low voltage [ 1.00+] ) The two RS and the Australia badge of last weeks hunts
Another team hunt.. early start ~ 05.00~ Ran into a problem ~ white out fog !! ~ Our plan was put in slow Mo ti the fog cleared ~ Worked three separate sites and pulled some interesting results ~ The day ended up being a 12 hour day by the time I got home ~ Ed's tally ~ He had yet a great day with coins ~ found a spill almost right up, front as soon as he switch on ! My score ~ I found the remains of a communications telephone switch board ~ note (RCA type) all brass plugs and misc fittings ~ I dug a lot of brass ~ most will go into the scrap brass drum! The Trench Art penny is a cracker ~ The ID tag is a mystery as the first Digger I found was part of a Ambulance crew and killed in Feb 1942 at Singapore with the assaults by Japanese forces ~ But that would NOT work here as there were no WWII camp sites in this area at that point, so further investigation has narrowed the search three ! Once the fog cleared it was extremely hot and humid ~ but another great day ~
Sat Decided at 12.00 Midday to go for a Solo hunt and test the new Mode I created on the CTX ~! Decided on a favourite site but it was probably a tough choice as the site is pretty heavily mineralised ~ and it is 50 KM from home ~ But it has been a good site ~ So arrived after 13.00 ~ I would normally leave home at the latest 10.30 but this was a test ~ I spent a few hours and called it a day around 16.00, with a few modest finds ~ And once again i proved that Golden Rule we fossickers should ALWAYS ~ abide by ~ That ~ is ~ NEVER EVER ~ discard a relic until I can either ID it or clean it up to prove it value ~ One of the final pieces I found was several bent and filthy encrusted pieces of aluminum ~ Much to my delight the aluminium piece turned out to be a Identity Tag ~ another one that was part of an Ambulance crew! And he signed up in registered in Cairns ~ 80 kms from here ~ And ironically was a member of a Ambulance crew ~ ( in view of the baggage tag I found on Weds ~ ) One of the others turned out to be a serial ID for ammo or Medicines (?)
Just found this ~ Opps ! Seems our friend was a Corporal ~ Seems he was busted to Private as he was a private when discharged ~ WATSON James Henry (Corporal) : Service Number - QX3869 : Unit - 2/11th Australian Field Ambulance, Australian Military Forces : Date of Court Martial - 5 February 1943] http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8299971&isAv=N
So Weds I went out in view of further field testing. But on the way to the regular site.s I deviated in view of antoher potential site ~ which is more public access ~ The results were spectacular ~ with further evidence of WWII presence but then also modern militar exercises during the 1960 and 1970s ~ Not only that ~ I also decided to gather the detritus and rubbish ~ but I also found a very unusual ring (375 9 Carat Gold). Mate's wife who is a self proclaimed authority on Jewellery feels that it is of of local or Australian origin ~ I took it to the Jewellers I regularly deal with in servicing relevant finds for me and they also agree it is very unusual and not a local item ~ The larger blank round (?) is in fact a Stove pipe round as it had mis-fired and then jammed in the breach (Head stamp 87 F8 FM ) Then after an hour or so I now have added yet another site for further investigation, In fact expanding the site parameters simply by the most prolific 'early' detritus I found ! So then I moved camp to nearby recognised site to compare the area with my new settings ~ Again the result were impressive and I dug 3 KG VI pennies in a well worked area ~