Yesterday we harvested the rest of our potatoes, because the frost had killed off the plants, so it was just to get it all out of the ground. Firewood has been stacked in the shed and the woolen underwear moved to the top of the drawer. Winter can come.. But I do hope it will give us a few more weeks of digging season before it arrives. This week it was pretty ok conditions for searching, not too cold, and not too much rain, and I managed to make two trips out there.
The first went to the Luftwaffe lazarett and the large dumping pit. I had to remove some logs and then the soil backfilled after last trip, so it took half hour or so before any relics popped out. It was a green 1 litre bottle that came out of the dumping pit first. Behind the bottle were several lightbulbs mixed together with spark plugs, it is really so random what one will find in these garbage pits. And then a large vehicle lamp tricked me into thinking it was a helmet. Two large "mystery items" took a bit of time to dig out. Some frame-like foldable structure (scroll down for pics) I have no idea what they are, but they looked interesting. Two long bladed knives came up together with the frames. They could have belonged in the field hospitals kitchen. Of course ampoules and small medical bottles also soon lined the edge of the pit. The most interesting bits to be dug up were several leg braces. They were made from rather thin metal so most of them had been destroyed by time, but I rescued three that weren`t in the worst condition. On the bottom of the pit I found a great relic, a canteen with its cork and with the felt cover still intact! Circa mid way into the digging, it had begun raining, then hailing so I was wet to the skin when I closed up for the day.
On Friday I got up early and prepared for a long day of searching, and after the daily intake of coffee had been enjoyed I drove to a Gebirgsjäger camp. It is a good forest, but I havent found time to go there since spring. I had located a small dumping pit back then and decided that now was the time to dig it. I swept the detector across it and it gave a massive signal for a lenght of about one meter. I am dreaming about finding a MG 34 or 42 and hoped this was the day, while I began removing roots and rocks to reach the signal. On the side of the short ditch was a small clump of nails rusted together. Just as I was about to toss it away I noticed a ring that was stuck to the clump! From the looks of it it was field made, from brass, and had simple patterns engraved to its sides and nothing on its face. I checked again with the pin pointer hoping there would be coins or medals nearby, but it was only a few more nails there. I continued taking away the rocks and could soon use the shovel on the sand underneath. Now several cast iron bits from a stove came landing on my shovel blade, and my hopes of finding the MG today died.
Instead I began assembling a small pile of relics to the side of the ditch. A field torch, cutlery, losantine boxes, food tins, another brass ring, measuring tape, and some of the internal bits of a field telephone. Most of the stuff was damaged by flames and heat, while other items seemed untouched. Like a very nice little porcelain tea pot and a handfull of chess pieces. The pin pointer gave away the hiding spots for each piece of metal and soon there were only one left, and it was deeper. I kept digging, following the signal and then my fingertips touched something round. It had to be a helmet!! The hole had to be widened and lots of soil moved before I could get a better feel of the item. And this time there were no doubts, a helmet was down there for sure. I had found the very top of its dome, so it took a fair share of effort to tunnell away enough soil to reach under the rim so it could be dragged to the surface. It was a M42 lid! Not very often seen here north, it is usually the early war variants being found. The metal had bubbles and it looked like it had been licked by the flames, but a great find that ll be fun cleaning up. I made sure there were no more lids there before I could refill the ditch and stretch my legs and start the hour long drive back home.
If the weather doesn`t get too nasty there will be a trip or three this week as well, maybe I ll even manage to lure the Girlfriend out for a digging too :D
Thanks for reading and have a great week :)
The first went to the Luftwaffe lazarett and the large dumping pit. I had to remove some logs and then the soil backfilled after last trip, so it took half hour or so before any relics popped out. It was a green 1 litre bottle that came out of the dumping pit first. Behind the bottle were several lightbulbs mixed together with spark plugs, it is really so random what one will find in these garbage pits. And then a large vehicle lamp tricked me into thinking it was a helmet. Two large "mystery items" took a bit of time to dig out. Some frame-like foldable structure (scroll down for pics) I have no idea what they are, but they looked interesting. Two long bladed knives came up together with the frames. They could have belonged in the field hospitals kitchen. Of course ampoules and small medical bottles also soon lined the edge of the pit. The most interesting bits to be dug up were several leg braces. They were made from rather thin metal so most of them had been destroyed by time, but I rescued three that weren`t in the worst condition. On the bottom of the pit I found a great relic, a canteen with its cork and with the felt cover still intact! Circa mid way into the digging, it had begun raining, then hailing so I was wet to the skin when I closed up for the day.
On Friday I got up early and prepared for a long day of searching, and after the daily intake of coffee had been enjoyed I drove to a Gebirgsjäger camp. It is a good forest, but I havent found time to go there since spring. I had located a small dumping pit back then and decided that now was the time to dig it. I swept the detector across it and it gave a massive signal for a lenght of about one meter. I am dreaming about finding a MG 34 or 42 and hoped this was the day, while I began removing roots and rocks to reach the signal. On the side of the short ditch was a small clump of nails rusted together. Just as I was about to toss it away I noticed a ring that was stuck to the clump! From the looks of it it was field made, from brass, and had simple patterns engraved to its sides and nothing on its face. I checked again with the pin pointer hoping there would be coins or medals nearby, but it was only a few more nails there. I continued taking away the rocks and could soon use the shovel on the sand underneath. Now several cast iron bits from a stove came landing on my shovel blade, and my hopes of finding the MG today died.
Instead I began assembling a small pile of relics to the side of the ditch. A field torch, cutlery, losantine boxes, food tins, another brass ring, measuring tape, and some of the internal bits of a field telephone. Most of the stuff was damaged by flames and heat, while other items seemed untouched. Like a very nice little porcelain tea pot and a handfull of chess pieces. The pin pointer gave away the hiding spots for each piece of metal and soon there were only one left, and it was deeper. I kept digging, following the signal and then my fingertips touched something round. It had to be a helmet!! The hole had to be widened and lots of soil moved before I could get a better feel of the item. And this time there were no doubts, a helmet was down there for sure. I had found the very top of its dome, so it took a fair share of effort to tunnell away enough soil to reach under the rim so it could be dragged to the surface. It was a M42 lid! Not very often seen here north, it is usually the early war variants being found. The metal had bubbles and it looked like it had been licked by the flames, but a great find that ll be fun cleaning up. I made sure there were no more lids there before I could refill the ditch and stretch my legs and start the hour long drive back home.
If the weather doesn`t get too nasty there will be a trip or three this week as well, maybe I ll even manage to lure the Girlfriend out for a digging too :D
Thanks for reading and have a great week :)
Lightbulbs. I bet the intact ones will light up and still be working if tested.
Headlamp.
The mystery frames.
Nivea bottle.
Knife #1.
Knife #2.
Leg brace.
Canteen.
The snow is creeping closer.
The ring.
The bells from a field telephone.
Field torch.
Spoons and forks.
Losantine boxes.
Measuring tape.
Another ring.
Gaming pieces.
I thought it was a marble, but its a plastic pearl.
M42 helmet!!
Mr. Squirrell keeping watch.
This green foil and frame thing is a bit of a mystery.
The measuring tape.
Melted Luftwaffe spoon.
RSS Feed