A helmet for the price of a wasp sting
- Inka
- Sep 18, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 12
The weather is still nice so I spent the day in the patch of forest I ve become very familiar with this season. I had no more localized dumping pits so I brought the metal detector. First time in more than a month I am using it. The first signal I dug was a Wehrmacht axe head. I searched my way into the forest but found only garbage, mostly modern foil and small food tins thrown out from cars and dragged here by wind or birds.
I started to give up hope for any findings today when I walked past a small hole in the ground that wasps flew in and out from. That had to be studied closer. Smart move. As I kneeled down, camera ready the fuckers swarmed out and attacked me. One of them managed to sting one of my fingers just next to my nail. Oh, man it hurt. I took my legs and ran away from the angry yellow and black army. When I had lost them I resumed the search. I could feel the heartbeat in my finger and the pain rose up through my arm. Since I am allergic and can have reactions to such poisons I began contemplating if I should evacuate and get some antihistamines but I overruled it, deciding it is better to die from anaphylactic shock doing something one love rather than go see the doctor as some hysteric lunatic.
The next signal I dug would prove that to be the best deciscion ever. On a small rise in the forest the detector gave off a nice clear signal and I opened up the moss. The soil was sandy and easy to dig and I found the rim of what I believed to be yet another food bowl or maybe a thick barrell band. As I removed a little more of the sand I saw that it was a German helmet, and in very good condition, even with the leather liner intact. Happy.
I went on and the next one I dug was a big heavy piece. A trailer hitch part from a German vehicle, always great to find usable vehicle parts. For the next two hours I had again no finds but rubbish, and I turned and began strolling back to the car. On my way I saw a small dimple between some trees and thats always wise to check such places. The Fisher F5 screamed of excitement so I started digging.
Here was a dumping pit! It took me a couple of hours to clear it and pulled out lots of bottles, some porcelain, a trench-art shotglass made from a Norwegian casing, a tablet box and a small bakelite container. The last items on the very bottom of the pit was a big surprise. Several silver items! Two napkin holders and two jar/cup like things. One of the napkin rings was engraved with a Norwegian name "Einar" and "1906", the other with "Solveig" and on the bottom of the jar it was engraved "Solveig Berge. Asker Apotek" and dates from the 1920`s. Could it be something a soldier had stolen I wonder?? I guess we won`t know but I ll try find out about these names and see if I can find the family it belongs to.It had been a great day, but it was time to get back home to eat and clean some of the finds.Until next time, Keep Smiling :)
Comments