WWII finds - UXO, Issued items, battlefield items!

[Wrath1]

Hello,

I love finding artifacts! I love it so much I spend hours upon hours searching the different islands out here on the Kwajalein Atoll. I live and work on the island of Roi-Namur. I've got many artifacts from an old coffee mug to a mess-kit to large pieces of shrapnel to all sizes of artillery shells up to 90mm. I've even come across four USMC WWII dogtags!

I guess I'll start off with what I love to find the most - UXO, or unexploded ordnance. I like finding this stuff because I get to do the security detail for EOD when they come to blow it up.

The first picture is of an armor piercing naval round that failed to explode. I had been told that there was a 16 percent "dud-rate".

On top of this round is a plastic explosive shape-charge. It was fired at the island of Anekaran where it was found 60+ years later by some Marshallese kids. I wear a size nine boot, this thing was twice as long as my foot.

 

[twoeagles]

Very interesting, Wrath! There'r more than a few members who are nuts for this kind of thing (me included) and the photo's are very much appreciated.
(My Dad flew Hellcats in the South Pacific 1943-1945, and the Gilberts,
Marshalls, and Mariana's were storied places as I grew up.)

Still looking at that large piece of aircraft, too, for ID....

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very cool. Must be interesting to work in such a place.

 

[Wrath1]

I'm glad some like the pics! I know how you feel! I'm as addicted as you guys

Yea, its an interesting place to work but, I think its time for me to move on after a few years. The work is just too slow. I'll be relocating in eight months.

This next pic is of two 50.cal rounds a kid brought to me. The rule out here is; anything under a 20mm UXO we as Police can pick them up and place them in our UXO box. We can also collect anything under 20mm from the public. It's forbiddent to touch anything above a 50.cal without EOD's approval, but, well...

 

[syscom3]

What did you do with the dogtags?

It would have been interesting to give them back to the owner or his family, if they could have been located.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree, did you try and track down the owner?