Hello all, I have not posted here for some time, so I feel this is over due I went back to the Hurtgenwald forest last week, but this time I took my wife and son, I only managed to get in two afternoons ratting around in the forest but on the second day I came across some good finds Belt and spade webing Not too sure about this, I think it could whats left of a belt loader Mg rounds on the belt (7.92) Not sure about this one, but it looks like a mount of some sort, the sipkes are to stick into the ground or a log I love this place, it seems to aways turn up untouched areas even after all this time This is where I found these items, on a ledge of the hole, it looks as if it has housed an MG
What is the scale on that "C" shaped spike "thingie"? I have seen a similar item used to string telephone line in the woods in mountain areas here in MT.. The wires are low voltage, and the "spike" is driven into a tree trunk, the near branches removed, and a copper wire strung on a glass "insulator" suspended from the "C" spike by a small hooked wire. Just curious, the ones I have run across are about six inches (15 cm) in length on the inside of the "C".
Hi, I would say it was about 30/40cm between the spikes of C, you could be right as this dug out was on the edge of the forest and would have probebly been use as a look out possition and field phones would have been used , around 20 yards into the forest is a larger dugout and small trench system
That would be a whole lot bigger than the things I've seen used for a purpose like that. Those were just a couple of inches larger than a man's hand, so he could grasp one, and hit it on both ends while holding it without hitting his hand or a finger. A couple of whacks and you have a "mount" to string wires with/from. It was just a guess.
Very nice finds. Neil. Hopefully we will have more good finds when we are both back in the Hurtgen forest later this year. Clint, good guessing, I would never have thought of such a use for the mystery item. It could very well be a larger version of what you refer to.
Hi Clint, the west wall defences where well built along time before 1944/45 and contained many concrete bunkers and defencive positions so comunications network would have been extensive, so hey maybe your guess is on the right track, have you noticed the two round holes in the center of the long section and there are approxamatley severn to eight square holes either side of them, they must have served a purpose
Hi John, I am looking forward to going again, I can feel a good trip is coming our way, loads to see and find, can not wait to go I am all ready honing my seventh sencses of relic finding
Great find! I am not saavy enough about gas masks to tell if they are American or German. I just read recently that the Germans discovered that their gas masks prevented poisoning from exposure to American white phosphorus shells. I know the basics about white phosphorus, how it burns when exposed to air, and sticks to whatever it touches, such as humans, but I didn't know one could get poisoned, I assume from breathing the fumes? Any thoughts? Greg C.
Here are some photographs with the muck cleaned off, I was very supprised by the condition of the rubber of the gas masks, very supple and not perished The heer green paint still intact 1944 made THe makers code Blue anti magnetic Spade webbing Either a lace but I think more likley a draw cord from a piece of clothing Belt Size 90cm I think this is a ration tin
Hi Greg, I have never heard about the about the fumes but I am sure that they were not good for you, probebley very corrosive and toxic , I have a gas mask in good condition and have tryed it on, it still seals well and would stop any gas getting in even after all this time
What I read was a brief excerpt from a German POW interrogation. The POW said that they most feared the effect of American mortar and artillery (as many German POWs have stated), and in particular, the use of white phosphorus. He then went on to say that his unit discovered that their gas masks would prevent poisoning from the white phosphorus, and left it at that. I immediately recalled the common scenario of Americans throwing their gas masks away, deeming them useless but kept the handy canvas bag it came in. Greg C.
I'm sure the holes did have some purpose, on those "quick tach" things we used it was for stringing phone line up into the hunting lodges in the mountains. They wouldn't last over the whole year, so they had to be re-done before each hunting season. Before the break-up of Ma Bell that area didn't have real "phone service", we owned our own little rural line, and paid a fee to attach to the main Bell system. We were responsible for all our own phones, poles, lines, and insultators. But, the hunting camps main cabins could be "fed in" to the local Utica line through those types of bare copper lines. Our "C" spikes had three holes in them, one in the middle and one on each end so that if you drove it into the tree trunk at a slightly wrong place, you could move the hanger for the glass insulator up or down the "C" a couple of inches to fix the problem. Like I said, just guessing here. Don't know what the Germans may have used for temporary line stringing.
Thanks for sharing!!!! Hurgenwald is my favorite WW2 battle, I have to make it to this forest one of these days.
I always find it fascinating when people find things that are buried in the battlefields. Seeing these items and pictures of the area, helps me gets a very powerful insight and perspective as to what my grandfatherwould of seen when he was their with the 4th Cavalry Group. Thanks for sharing the pics!!!!
Hi All I always wanted to go to the Hurgenwald . I only live 2 hours away .But the Forest is so big where would I start to look. Can anyone give me a good area of the forest to look in. Thanks Sal
I suggest you try relic hunter forums, but I doubt many will give their favorite spots away. The best would be to find historical maps of the battlefiends and get your own secret places
