Hurtgen Forest finds 2009

These finds i did this year, some alone and some with several friends.
Remarkeble that some items are still in good shape after more than 63 years in the soil.

 

Once again Ed, great finds! Well done and thanks again for letting me see these!! I'm jealous of you guys going on these adventures!!

 

super finds!!! and again great photo's too (always nice to see what kind of terrain the finds come from)

yes i agree the shell casings look very well

 

Nice finds. I was in the Hurtgen once for a day but didn't see anything like that. I did find some old foxholes and was fascinated by the armored vehicle track that is melted into the road leading up from the Kall Valley to Schmidt.



Cheers

BW

 

Hi Ed, nice finds I like the US 60mm motar, but it looks a little live
I have booked some time off work in July so hope to go there again my self

 

It's been a while since i did an update so here it goes!
I've haven't been sitting still and these are some more items i found in the Hurtgen Forest this year.
The MP-40 part has gone back into the ground because of the law in the Netherlands, it's forbidden to have this at home.
But i have a contact in the Hurtgen and i will see to it that it gets a good spot where it belongs.

 

Very nice Edwin! Is that a .45 pistol? Also, pictures 3 & 4; I am assuming the neon spray paint is to mark ordnance for bomb disposal?

 

great finds, thanks for the photos!

 

Looks like an MP40 with its stock folded in?

 

A poster here died from picking up battlefield debris?

 

No, that's the part of the MP-40 i mentioned in the intro.
And the paint in those other pictures, i think your right about that.

 

I did not know that, has this realy happend?

 

Wow!! Really?!? That's terrible! Does anyone have any other info on this?

 

We have some of an MP40 we dug up. It's not nearly that well preserved though. I like the grenade launcher round, that's a pretty interesting find

 

Yes several diggers have been killed by old ordinace over the years an aquaintance of mine and his friend had brought back some american grenades and while he was in the kitchen making coffe with his friends mother one of the grenades went off killing him instantly, there was litterally nothing left of him.. hence my best advice leave dealing with old ordanance to the professionals, weapons and ammunition are one thing grenades mortar rounds mines are another.. also note 2 years ago 5 children in Normandy found and were playing with a teller mine it went off killing 4 and critically wounding the 5th...

This is sadly the legacy of war it affects us for decades if not centuries after...

 

I do not collect ammo of what sort, it does not interest me.
I only collect personel items i find.
But you never know what you dugup when you get a signal, ammo will return almost emediatly back in the soil where it came from, after making a picture.
It's not worth my life.

 

I think this may be confused with John Pimlott, a historian and published author ( but not a member of this Forum ). He was killed a few years ago at his home while tampering with a 2cm shell which he'd picked up on a battlefield visit.