Steve T Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 During a recent trip to the British army dump site permission of mine, a fair few Long Lee butt plates were, once again, recovered. The tang on these butt plates are nearly always marked with unit identification letters and numbers. However, during cleaning, one was marked with something totally unexpected and caused a huge amount of excitement. This is how they looked after an initial clean. And then after something a little more intensive.... The tangs usually look like this... But NOT this one !!! After some frantic research on the internet, the descendants of Major Green were traced, and I have now spoken to his great nephew. I was pleased to find that he was as excited as I was and is soon going to be in possession of a small piece of his family's history. QOYDIY - Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons Imperial Yeomanry The history of each item I recover is so very important, and people sometimes find it hard to understand why I don't sell anything I recover. This is exactly why. Every relic recovered is a little piece of history, not something to be sold to the highest bidder. They are recovered and preserved so the history can be shared with future generations or, in this case, members of a serviceman's family. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Hello Steve, What a great project you have started, especially to find the relatives of this Great soldier so many years ago..Very, Very Commendable to You....Well Done...!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Hello Steve, These have come up Superb! after cleaning them...what method did you use please? Desert Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted December 11, 2016 Author Share Posted December 11, 2016 Step 1 - Smack with a hammer to remove all big chunks of rust Step 2 - Scrub with stiff wire brush to remove as much mud and leftover loose rust as possible Step 3 - Soak in a 10-20% solution of citric acid, using very hot water, for at least 12 hours Step 4 - Remove from citric acid, rinse, dunk in strong sodium bicarb solution to neutralise any left over acid Step 5 - Dry Step 6 - Whizz a wire brush attachment on an electric pillar drill all over the item Step 7 - Take photos as they now look awesome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Thanks Very Much Steve....I will try this sometime.....Best Wishes...Desert Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boonie Stomper Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Just read this...over 1 year later. A great story with an even better ending. I often sit in my "bunker" with history all around me & wish that they could talk. Especially personal items, such as an M1916 Stahlhelm with "Meyer" painted inside. Who was he? Was he KIA or a survivor? Where are his kinfolk? How did it get from there to here? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 (edited) Hello Boonie, Yes I feel the same with some of the French Resistance Items I collect....Just sit and look at them and wonder if only they could tell me when and who used/ wore them/ when and what happened to them, were they killed captured or ended up at Gestapo HQ and tortured...I know from real life many were as the Dear Belgian Resistance Lady I knew From " The Comete Line". Her code name was "Lily" and her real name was Michou, that she told me the many times I met her in France at her home. I think over 150 were executed, murdered, and sent to Death Camps in Germany as "Nacht Und Nebel" prisoners....No hope or release and tortured to death!!! Best Wishes...IanB Edited January 17, 2018 by Desert Rat correction to text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Image sole Copyright of Ian R Bridle www.edenbridgetown.com NO use without permission from me...Thank You! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Register for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now