Author Topic: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?  (Read 504 times)

Offline GillianF

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Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« on: Thursday 11 June 20 09:11 BST (UK) »
My brother has an ammo box which belonged to our father.  Our parents used to keep important documents in it:  insurance policies, certificates etc.  The story our mother told was that our Dad used it to keep paperwork 'fireproof' because at some time in my father's family there had been a house fire and the loss of such important documents had caused a lot of difficulty and inconvenience.  I remember being shown the box and at that time (1960s) it did still have some singed documents inside.  I don't know when the fire was nor when my Dad acquired the box.

My Dad died in 1972 and had served (Royal Artillery) in WWII but his parents had died in 1928 (father) and 1940 (mother) and he would not have been a serving soldier in 1940 so the story does not immediately make complete sense.

My brother thinks the box was US Army and says it is in good condition with no chips to the paintwork etc. which would suggest it did not see much use.

Does anyone know anything more about this which might be useful or of interest please?

(The mug was included in the photo to give 'scale'!)

Offline ShaunJ

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 11 June 20 09:30 BST (UK) »
It is a US army ammunition box for a .30 calibre machine gun. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1919_Browning_machine_gun which has a photo.

These would have been supplied to the British army under lend lease so it is most likely a relic from your father's service in WW2.
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Offline Skoosh

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 11 June 20 09:36 BST (UK) »
Machine gun ammo?

Skoosh.

Offline GillianF

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 11 June 20 11:12 BST (UK) »
Thank you for the information.  Dad was on 25lbers in the Royal Artillery, Second Army and saw service at Nijmegen (Holland) and in North Africa.

So, it makes sense he would have been around these ammo boxes but how would he have brought one home?  Were these just lying around, spare and he could have walked off with one and got it home?  Any thoughts?


Offline Dyingout

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 11 June 20 11:18 BST (UK) »
There was also a lot of this type of forces equipment, sold off in the late fifties and early sixties.
Army surplus stores sprung up everywhere.
Selling all sorts of ex forces uniforms and materials.
These boxes were used and still are by many radio amateurs to transport equipment on field days.
Dow/Dowe Norfolk and Suffolk
Mulley/Wilden Suffolk
Loome/lombe Norfolk

Offline ShaunJ

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 11 June 20 11:31 BST (UK) »
My dad was in the Royal Artillery too and our house was full of army stuff that he had brought back with him in 1945, including a large ammunition box that we used for storage.
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Offline grandarog

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Re: Anyone know any more about this ammo box?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 11 June 20 14:50 BST (UK) »
Slightly off subject but refering to ex service sales post WW2. Some time arround 1950 ish my dad bought a load of ex WD wooden boxes and cases from an auction for Firewood. When he was smashing them he found a heavy one still sealed .When he opened it there was a brand new RAF aircraft compass in it. It got stuck up on the shelf in the shed.over the years it stayed with us and eventually was sold to an aviation enthusiast.
WAGHORN/E
KENWARD
HARRIS
DIXON
MARSHALL
MERCER
CARE
FAGG
RUSSELL
WOODRUFF      

 All these  Families were Born and Bred in Kent