November 18, 200817 yr Author #26 Great stuff mate, looks fantastic. Are you allowed to just go digging wherever, or are alot of the WWII battlefields like, protected areas that you arent allowed to mess with? I want to do some relic hunting when i go over there in a year or two but not sure how to get started hehe. What's a good detector? Digging is illegal everywhere except poland and russia i think...if you got plans for France, Belgium , Germany...you have to get permission from the land owner or government ( gov is pretty impossible ). You only need to do some history research on where you want to dig... just see that no one can see you or just ask permission at the landowner. I use a XP detector , for me its perfect, other good ones are: Whites, Garret? ,Minelab,...
November 27, 200817 yr #28 A day later we were at the Carentan Airborne festival at the Hyppodrome and we saw a GMC DUKW, as we knew that it couldn't be a wheel of a Dodge vehicle...it totally compared to a DUKW wheel. It's owned by my friend and we didnt totally clean it as we like to keep it ' fresh from utah beach '. Maybe you could sell or give that tire to the DUKW people (if that's what it came from); they could clean it up and display it where the spare tire goes, on the back deck. It would give it some sort of D-Day authenticity.
November 29, 200817 yr #29 Robin, are you allowed to keep those grenades and mortars (demilitarized of course) or do they simply destroy it? Gilles
December 1, 200817 yr Author #30 Robin, are you allowed to keep those grenades and mortars (demilitarized of course) or do they simply destroy it? Gilles I dont know what they do to it, i only report live ammo. The exploded mortar grenades ( empty and ofcourse demil ) i take with me. Grenades, Bazooka grenades , .... we always report.
December 1, 200817 yr #31 Ah, OK. They simply take it away to destroy it then. Too bad, I thought that sometimes you were allowed to keep them once demil'ed.
December 1, 200817 yr Author #32 Ah, OK. They simply take it away to destroy it then.Too bad, I thought that sometimes you were allowed to keep them once demil'ed. Well , i never seen them , but i guess they won't be pleased when someones digs it up so i do it anonimously. Report and get the hell out of there
May 23, 200917 yr Author #35 After a new trip to the Bulges here is the result from my trip. It comes from the 99th ID sector on the Belgian/German border Not much, but i am satisfied as i found some things i never found before... Rifle Grenade : 60mm Grenade and a piece for the mortar to hold the barrel in place. US toothbrush K98 Cleaning kit , empty German pocket knife marked with a display of Köln. All the important parts together
May 23, 200917 yr Author #36 Mortar part Buttons from Greatcoats US spoon and fork , found in the bottom of foxholes Some information! ( Sorry for the bad pics of the information panels , the sun messed it up ) German CP US Field hospital
May 23, 200917 yr Author #37 Platoon CP L shaped Foxhole to protect both sides of the Entrenched part
May 23, 200917 yr #38 Cool pics man, not a bad haul, some good gear there The pics of the stations and trenches are nice!
May 28, 200917 yr #39 Collar disc, mortar squad Interesting photos, thanks for posting. One minor point: this is an enlisted branch of service disc for Field Artillery. Mortars are infantry weapons (except for the 4.2" chemical mortars), not artillery. So, a soldier crewing a 60mm and/or 81mm mortar would be an infantryman and wear crossed rifles.
June 4, 200917 yr #40 Wow, awesome finds! I have actually been very close to that same area near Rocherath doing the same thing! I followed the story from an old issue of After the Battle where Charles McDonald went back to this area of combat in the early 1980's I believe. We were able to find quite a few German items with a detector, but during our visit a few years ago we had poor weather and lots of snow on the ground. Great pics!
July 24, 200917 yr Author #41 Interesting photos, thanks for posting. One minor point: this is an enlisted branch of service disc for Field Artillery. Mortars are infantry weapons (except for the 4.2" chemical mortars), not artillery. So, a soldier crewing a 60mm and/or 81mm mortar would be an infantryman and wear crossed rifles. Late response but ok, we found this collar disc in an area where a mortar platoon/squad was stationed. Field artillery would be technically impossible to place there. Maybe from someone who got transferred to infantry ? All i can say is that this was found in the middle of where a mortar squad was positioned. Several 60mm mortargrenades were found there.
July 24, 200917 yr Author #42 The past few days i joined 2 friends for a trip to the Hurtgenwald and we got rewarded for the trouble. Not many BIG finds but we also have to cherish the smaller finds. I think we all are satisfied with what we found. Enjoy! K98 Bayonet with wooden grip. US Fork found on higher ground near a road, Condition is marvelous ! Yet another pineapple would see the light. Some other ordnance...a Bazooka rocket Wool trousers and tshirts came out of a hole , or maybe foxhole, we don't know for 100% Recognisable back pocket!
July 24, 200917 yr Author #43 At the end of our trip our eyes catched some writings on a tree...it was a rare moment! USA 10/9/44 F*ck Hitler And some names ? US flag with USA under it Cliff J ....... .. .......... Ohio Toledo Ohio Stars and stripes USA
July 24, 200917 yr Author #44 Overview of our relics : First aid packet Buttons and other equipment things USA marked pocket knife , wich got thrashed during the drive home. Battle damaged Mess tin and the fork The fork has a Laundry code stamped on it More info will follow after the cleanup.
July 24, 200917 yr Author #45 Here are a couple pictures after the cleanup, it quite surprised me! The K Ration lids Composed Cheese lid , markings are VERRY good! And another one , I think it was filled with Cooked Beef ? The knife The Fork With Laundry code!
July 24, 200917 yr #46 Excellent dig! Thanks for posting these battlefield relics. Love the tree!!! Bobgee
July 24, 200917 yr #47 Excellent dig! Thanks for posting these battlefield relics. Love the tree!!! Bobgee I agree that tree is something else! Respectfully, PFC Kitt
July 24, 200917 yr Author #48 A quick add to this story : The relics come from the area where the 2nd Battalion , 39th IR of the 9th infantry division was stationed between 6 and 10 october 1944 during the battle of the Hurtgen forrest !
July 24, 200917 yr #49 At the end of our trip our eyes catched some writings on a tree...it was a rare moment! USA 10/9/44 F*ck Hitler The F-word in WW2???
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