We're still sorting through a few things and making more discoveries to add to our collection. This is the latest artefact we've found. It's an Oiler for an SMLE (Short Magazine Lee Enfield) Mk III Rifle. This weapon was introduced in 1907. The markings on the oil bottle provide us with some interesting information! The arrow and crown show it was owned by the British Government. 'V5' and the 'B' are the inspection stamps, which identify it as having been inspected in Birmingham before being issued. It was made by H J & S. Henry Jenkins & Sons Ltd was a company located at Unity Works, Victoria Street in Birmingham. Most interestingly, H J & S produced over one million oil bottles during the
Three days ago I came across an old, small, leather case amongst some things that had been passed on to me. When I opened the case I discovered a number of old cartridges inside. They were two different sizes. The larger ones were inscribed with 'DI 43' and had a diameter of 9mm and a length of 19mm. The shorter cartridges measured 25mm long with a 7mm diameter. With the help of other WW2 enthusiasts and experts in the field of weaponry, we were able to identify the origin an...d use of the large cartridges first. The DI stands for Defence Industries, a Limited Company in Canada set up to produce munitions during WW2. It was based in Brownsburg, Quebec, but the company also had additional si
Our German Infantry helmet (M1942). This helmet is particularly interesting as it was found in a bunker in the Channel Islands just after the war. It was donated to us by a gentleman who was evacuated from Guernsey just before the Germans arrived in the islands. The occupation began in June 1940 and ended with the liberation in May 1945.The islands were the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans during the Second World War, and Hitler wanted it to be his 'model ...occupation' before pushing on to conquer Britain. The abandoned German bunkers and gun emplacements became attractive play areas for the children of the islands to explore at the end of the hostilities, although they
Another recent addition - our WW2 British Army issue blackout lamp. The lamp has a hood to keep the light pointing towards the ground. It has a carry handle and a fitting on the back to enable it to clip onto a belt. The blackout in Britain began in 1939 after earlier trials by the RAF, with certain towns attempting to maintain a blackout. One of the biggest risks identified was lights on vehicles. New measures were brought in and in the case of our lamp, the following applied: 'In the case of lamps carried by pedal cycles, the following rules must be observed: The upper half of the front glass must be completely obscured; The lower half of any reflector must be treated with black paint or o
