Fliegerhorst Gilze-Rijen. Archaeology & Research.

Wow! That really is a great find! That seems pretty rare huh! I'll bet you'll be back ther looking for more great stuff eh Nick?!

 

Allready bin there, for more than 3 years in that area... much ammunition...

 

oh man!
I may have to change my plans and fly over earlier just to get at those great sites! keep them coming!!
btw is there an english version of your webpage?
thanks

 

No sorry, my webpage is in Dutch, its a forum just like this but than in Dutch and over dug-up relics.
You're invited to come, on that area I almost found only ammunition, German, Dutch, French, Brittish, US and even Russian ammunition! I also found some remains of German concrete bombs they just lay on the surface. Even a piece who has some of the bleu paint on it, it just layed there on the walkingpath! ...... As still today.

 

Another "bomb-find" at first I didn't reconized it but after almost a year I looked at a drawning and a bell starts to ring! Its the suspension lug of many types of airbombs, it has some green paint on it either.
Nothing special, but still a rare find.

 

That is a great find. I have a big part of an Me-109 at home, (the oval part under the cocpit that rivets the two wings together). It used to have two similar supension lugs on both sides. On of them is still on it. This would allow the BergungKommandos and ground crew to lift the whole aircraft with a tripod crane.

 

Here a huge find done last year.
A large dumphole full with Brittish ammunition. All reported to the right authoryties.
The 20 mm Hispano Suiza 404 rounds, Armor Piercing and High Explosive for fighterplaines and 2 boxes full of .303 Brittish rounds. Armor Piercing (headstamp WI) and Incendiary (headstamp BVIIZ).

Totally at least 50x 20 mm rounds and about 1000+ .303 rounds.
In very good condition.... but illegal and dangerous!!!

 

Oh my you could have started a siege with that amno. You did the right thing by reporting these. The find is quite important. I am glad you took pictures, at least this will leave you a souvenir.

 

That's ok about the Dutch, Nick, I need to learn it anyway, I'm thinking about buying the Rosetta Stone course!
Anyway, whatever happened to the ammo? Do the authorities just dispose of it?

 

I think so...

 

bummer!
i mean i know they could blow, but it just doesn't seem right!

 

We share the same thoughts...
I just can't permit to take any of this stuff to home.
In the past I had many trouble with the authorities regarding my hobby.

 

Let me guess you got busted with your metal detector and had to answer a few embarassing questions.

 

More like 7 to 10 cops knockin' on my door and taking me with them for a nice long night in prison.

Feind hört mit! Trust nobody, my advice.

 

my gosh Nick you and your friend(s) are a brave lot digging up that ammo,,,,,,,,,,arg that is nothing but creepy with all that live feed under ground.

E ~

 

Well its not THAT dangerous, but the message is allways be carefull with digging!

 

Ten guys just for being a collector? Wow, you better pay your bills and your taxes then ? You must laugh about it now, but I bet that at the time it must have been a lot of stress

 

Your pictures are really fascinating, Nick - and quite mouth-watering for all of us on here !

You did absolutely the right thing with ammo - photograph it well for historical interest, but it is rather nasty stuff and best left for the authorities to dispose of....but such things as the bomb suspension bolt are really superb finds.....

 

I know, Nick has a little something that apparently makes him find what others don't. Maybe I will give him the location of a few others spots one of these days.

 

All information is welcome, find history when it still can!
After a few years the stuff is to rot or found by somebody else who has no interest.