tapwater Posted December 29, 2008 Share #1 Posted December 29, 2008 My dad was a farmer and worked at the plant during WW2. Therefore, he was not drafted. A friend grazes cattle on the old arsenal grounds. I water them during the summer months, so I have access to areas that are still off limits to bikers, hunters, etc. Sadly, I somehow lost most of my photos from there. Here is a pic of one of the hundreds of ammo storage bunkers on the property. Another of a practice 105mm round and some war time graffiti on a bunker wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tapwater Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share #2 Posted December 31, 2008 Sorry about stretching the screen to need scrolling. All forums are different. I'll learn, in time. When I get back out to the old arsenal grounds again, I'll get some more interesting pictures. Thanks for your interest, and giving me a place to post these pics......Happy New year!.....Dale...(tap) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktrooper Posted January 1, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 1, 2009 The impact range for the plant when they test fired ammunition is now the Abraham Lincoln National veterans cemetary. My Grandfather and Grandmother is buried there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tapwater Posted January 1, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted January 1, 2009 The impact range for the plant when they test fired ammunition is now the Abraham Lincoln National veterans cemetary. My Grandfather and Grandmother is buried there. Interesting! The cemetary is on the west side of Rt.53. There were many manufacturing and loading facilities on the east side, which I'm more familiar with. There are remains of a test firing range on this side also. The impact hill has been partially dug out. The fortified firing blockhouse still stands, as do the wiring stations for radar and chronograph. The concrete pad and bolts suggest a fixed gun mount. It's both funny and sad to see cattle wandering in and out of the blockhouse and grazing on top of the backstop hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Andrews Posted January 2, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 2, 2009 In 1963 and 1964, my ROTC unit held FTXs in the wooded areas of Joliet Arsenal. We spent a day and a night in what turned out to be a CLOSED impact area. Oh well... I recall seeing lots of rusty shell fragments littering the ground, as well as old .30-06 blank brass and 16 and 12 gauge shells (from bird and deer hunters). Ancient history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted January 26, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 26, 2009 The "practice" round in the photo is actually a "Propaganda" shell from late WW II. The bottom unscrewed and the leaflets were inserted. The fuse was set to expel the leaflets above the enemy troops. One of the mail order companies (possibly sportsman guide) had a supply of these a few years ago. I bought one, they are pretty neat! Mine shell case was dated 1954 and the projectile was dated 1945 if I recall correctly. It probably was repacked during the Korean War. How would you like to be the grave digger in the old artillery impact area! BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grenadebaron Posted January 27, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 27, 2009 Here's another ammo bunker in Illinois This one is in Huntley Was part of William Fencel Fuse Plant during WWII which made 4.2 chemical mortar fuzes. There's 4 bunkers left at the old site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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