A few years ago, I bought these 2 relics from someone on an online auction site who said that they'd been found in the Bullecourt area. They're both very heavy items. The larger piece is about 13 inches long. Can anybody identify them please?
I know that these were sold on an online auction site in November 2010 as tank parts from Bullecourt but I don't recognise the components. Although this doesn't mean they are not tank parts, I wonder on what basis that claim is made. Have you cleaned these parts at all and if so are there any manufacturer's marks on them that might help confirm they are, at least, British?
Well remembered (although I'm surprised that it's that long ago). The larger item is too corroded to see if there are/were any markings on it. The smaller item has what looks like B I U (or maybe B I O with the top of the 'O' broken away) reversed along the top, and some kind of emblem at the bottom. Both stand proud of the surface. The emblem looks something like 3 'spears' enclosed by curved brackets ....... sort of (III) with maybe a horizontal cross-piece. There are also 2 holes drilled into it, one at 10 o'clock, the other at 4 o'clock (edit - the images have been rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise when I added them). These look very clean and may have been added much later.
-- Edited by simond9x on Wednesday 25th of November 2015 01:49:06 PM
Thanks for the additional information and photographs. It's odd the lettering (the B anyway) is reversed. I don't recognise either the acronym or the brand, I'm sorry. I'll be back if something comes to me.
I'm not 100% sure these are tank parts, but if they are they might be from the fan assembly. But I'm not 100% sure of that either. There are similarities to, but also differences from, fan assembly parts in the Mark IV. Whether the parts' designs changed betwen the Mark I/II (used at Bullecourt) and the Mark IV I don't know.
Gwyn
-- Edited by Gwyn Evans on Sunday 29th of November 2015 02:15:28 PM
Have you contacted places like Bovington, the Imperial War Museum, the Australian War Memorial or other places that have tanks in their collection?
I'm sure there are people at those sorts of places with an intimate and working knowledge of WWI tanks who might be able to shed some light on your query.
