WWII Relic Hunting

Part 1:

American Mk. II Fragmentation Hand Grenade (Exhibit A)

This particular grenade could be a Mk. II grenade made anywhere between 1942-1945.  Surprisingly every manufacture had their own way of making these grenades.  I tried to identify which type this grenade was but could only narrow down the time period.  I managed to narrow down the time period by the fact that pre-1942 most grenades had what looks like a screw groove at the base.  This was called the filler plug.   Starting around 1942 the military started phasing the need for a filler plug out but many were still being used during the war.  This grenade does not have a filler plug groove.  It would be easier to identify if the yellow line that may have existed at the top of the grenade was still visible and not corroded away.

37mm M5 round  (Exhibit B)

This round was given to me by a friend and since they didn’t know what it was or what it was used for during the war they gave it to me as a gift in order to research its origins.  Around the base of this round is a brass identification band that reads (as far as I can read it): LDT SG-121 -1943  37mm M5.  This particular round was used in at least three vehicles during WWII.  During my research I discovered that the most likely owner of this round would have been one of the few M5A1 “Stuart” tanks that landed on Saipan as it was effective against Japanese armor.   This round did not fair so well in Europe against the Nazis.  The other two vehicles that could have fired this round are the M8 Armored car & the M3 Anti-Tank gun.  You can find pictures of these vehicles online by typing them in to Google images.

Large SL 43 Bullet (Exhibit C)

                 

These are .50 caliber bullets that came out of airplanes during WWII fighting in Saipan & I suppose .50 caliber rifles (if the troops here used them)… the SL 43 head stamp on the bottom of the round stands for the St. Lewis Arms Manufacturing Plant.

Part 2: 

.30 caliber rifle cartridge (Exhibit A)

                

      The next size down from the .50 caliber shell is the standard .30 caliber rifle cartridge.  I always wondered if that was the caliber the troops used because the shell is similar in size to the  .30-06 round I use back home for deer hunting.  It would also explain why my grandfather who was a pilot during WWII bought a .30-06 rifle when he came back from the war.  Perhaps it was what he was most familiar with during his military training.  These shells were commonly used during the war.

.303 caliber Shell Casing (Exhibit B)

     I believe this casing is a .303 shell casing, but am unsure because it did not have the style of rim of regular American made .303 shells (which are flat).  This casing has a grooved bottom, which causes me to be uncertain.  The only thing I can say is that this shell casing is just slightly shorter than the .30-06 cartridge (they appear to be almost the same in the picture) and is what shell collectors call non-corrosive.  That is why after I cleaned these shells the shell seen in Exhibit A is so dark and corroded where as the smaller shell (Exhibit B) is more shiny and polished.   Perhaps it could still be fire in a .30-06 rifle… and is just like I said a different caliber…

Spiral Wrapped Cartridge Casing (Exhibit C)

     If someone can help me identify this casing it would be most helpful for my blog information, however, on the bottom of this particular round I found the letters & number “SWCC 4” which stand for the name “Spiral Wrapped Cartridge Casing.”  This particular shell casing was extremely hard to learn about in my research.  I learned that the 4 stands for the year 1944.  A casing with SWCC on it is in a way somewhat special because during the time period of 1944 the process needed to make such a bullet was laborious. This particular casing is made of 2 to 4 separate pieces and required a lot of assembly (using dies) back then when they didn’t have fast engineered machines that can do such complex manufacturing in one process instead of three.  These bullets were made for accuracy (perhaps a sniper bullet?).  I could not find which particular gun type it belonged to, but a seasoned shell collector would probably know easily enough based on its small, sleek, non-corrosive look.  The reason there is only a 4 on the head stamp is because the shell casing was adapted by what manufacturers call a “bunter”  to be stamped with the number 4 by simply grinding away the 3 that would have belonged to the shell.  In my research I see that this was common during the war for .30-06 shells, but this shell is so small I can’t imagine it belonging to a .30-06.  It must have belonged to some other rifle a .308?  I’m really not sure.  If anyone who reads this knows, feel free to leave a comment.  Perhaps I’m wrong and it is Japanese (given the fact that their bullets are normally smaller than American bullets).  That is the best I could do in identifying this shell…

 Part 3:

.45 caliber hand gun casing (Exhibit A)

     This particular casing was probably shot out of a Glock M1911 model .45 caliber handgun frequently seen used all the way through WWII into the Korean War.  During the Vietnam war this particular hand gun changed form into the M1911A1.   

M1 .30 Carbine  Round  (Exhibit B)

     This round I believe was used in the M1 .30 caliber rifle that many soldiers used during WWII.  The rounds that I’ve collected have the head stamp PC 43, which stands for the Peters Company based out of Ohio.  The 43 represents the manufacturing year.   

Butter Knife (Exhibit C)

     I found this butter knife at the Barcinas Cannon on the island of Tinian.  I don’t believe it is military, but it definitely could be since it was found at a WWII site.  It has a manufacturing marker indent, but I cannot read it because it is corroded.  It is not American military because the kind soldiers used were heavy duty steel and had looped handles so that one could attach it to their belt or a rope if need be while in the field.  I don’t think the Japanese used such knives, but I don’t know for sure.  The knife itself is “extremely” sharp for a butter knife.  Part of me wonders if some soldier did not sharpen it to shave with during their time manning the Barcinas Cannon and trying to stop the American forces.

Part 4:

     This is an American Forces WWII Insect Repellent glass bottle that was given to me.   In researching the bottle I learned that it was an insect repellent bottle because of the manufacturing code on the back.  It is technically a size 36 2 Oz glass bottle of insect repellant (Manufacture code: DES Pat 85925) made by Skat Div. - Gallowhur Chem. Corp. Windsor Vt. for SKOL COMPANY.

Part 5:

     This is a small plastic cup of Gun Powder from both .30 caliber bullets and large .50 caliber bullets.  I had to unscrew the bullet from the casing in order to be able to ship the bullets through the USPS safely.  It is a slightly dangerous procedure as the gun powder is still ignitable if the casing has not been eroded and the bullet head is still securely attached.  Do not worry for my safety as the only thing that has happened so far to my person is the casual blister annoyance that comes from unscrewing bullets from casings.

      I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the quasi-credible research that went behind this post.  I will continue to look for WWII ordinance and relics while I remain in Saipan.  There are many places I have been told I need to hike to and search, but we'll see if I have the time to visit them. Since I cannot hunt animals in Saipan I am enjoying my times relic hunting and booney stomping with the machete. If I find anything interesting I will be sure to post it.  Most of these relics will be on my way to my parents house soon as I plan on making a WWII art project with them.  My next posts will probably be one random post with pictures from Saipan that I find amusing and one on the completion of my scuba training whenever that occurs. Again, Enjoy the history!

Sincerely, Grant

Saipan Time: