Spectacular Finds

Last week became busier than I had planned. I drove 500 km to visit my family and while stopping for coffee a bit more than half way there I could smell gear oil, and I saw a small drip from under the car.

Not too worried I drove on but when I parked outside my parents house the smell was stronger and a puddle of oil formed. The wheel and wheel well were full of oil. Things did not look good.

On top of that I had caught a cold. So much for a relaxing holiday. All plans I had made were cancelled and instead I had to try find a workshop that wasn`t about to close for summer vacation. I managed to find one but nothing could be done with my lovely old T4 before the end of the month.

After some very nice days with the family I had to take a bus to reach a ferry place where the Girlfriend would pick me up. The bus ride was one of those from hell. Feverish and coughing I found a place in the soon to be overcrowded bus, and a quite large woman took the seat next to me. For every turn the bus took it felt like I was squished into a large pile of warm jello.

After those three and half hours I developed a severe case of Post Traumatic Downs Syndrom, but Girlfriend picked me up and we were soon back home.

A few days later my recovery was doing well and my friend Baard reported that he had arrived at his summer paradise and was ready for some metal detecting. Overjoyed I carpet bombed myself with vitamins, good food and rest so I would be fit for the forest again.

I met Baard and his son Skule, who had grown since last year. He was tall as a tree now. Baard had organized us a few nice sites to search and we decided for a forest that had housed a semi large camp consisting of stables, a larger kitchen, possibly some workshops and storage areas plus living quarters for lower Wehrmacht officers and soldiers.

Large bits of rust were scattered around between the trees. A large soup kettle, a bricked up kitchen, two vehicles and lots of bits from rotted away wooden carriages. Pits, ditches and holes could be observed as well. After a walkaround where Baard picked up two nice Wehrmacht jerry cans we spotted a large pit with barrels and some corners of M24 grenade boxes peeking out and we just had to open it up.

I dont think any of us were prepared for what lay ahead. Under the layer of branches and vegetation were lots of these boxes, and when we pulled one out we saw five more. For the next half hour we lifted crates out of the hole and piled them up along the edges. Some long metal tubes for PAK shells and wooden crates for S-Mines were on the bottom of the quite deep hole. Much of the wood on them were rotten but I think a few of the S-Mine carriers we pulled out can be restored.

When this bizarre and very exciting job was done we needed lunch and a cup of coffee. Later we took the detectors for a spin to see what else could lay hidden around. We dug horseshoes, nails, wires, rifle casings, tools and oven parts, but nothing that indicated living quarters, but Baard found a nice 5cm PAK casing.

Towards the hillside we found dug outs, caves and bunkers built of large rocks, but very few interesting finds.

After a while we were back at the m24 pit and began sorting that. We opened up the badly damaged crates and in many of them the carrying racks had survived, so soon we had a small pile of good M39 egg racks together with a larger pile of the M24 racks.

We stacked up everything worth saving and the rest went back into the pit. Sadly the rust had eaten large holes in most of the crates, but there were enough good ones left to offer the problem to how to get them out of the woods, and home :D

Then it was time for another round with the detectors and moments later I had a signal that needed digging. Gobsmacked I showed my find to Baard. I had dug up a nice Infanterie Sturmabzeichen, and next to it was a Wound Badge in black!! Im so glad Baard seconds later dug up a really nice coin from 1935 , if not I dont know if I would have made it alive out of the forest :D

The rest of the afternoon I spent carrying crates and racks towards the parking place that was too far away so my arms grew long, while Baard kept hunting for the area where the living quarters could have been.

Tomorrow is a new day and we are ready for many hours in the forest trying to find the ruins of the barracks.

Plate from a vehicle.

Some text showing.

Some parts of a kitchen.

Target practise.

A pit full of treasure, or junk?

This pit was almost as taken out of a rusthunters version of Alice in Wonderland.

Piles..

..and piles..

Wood from S-Mi carrier.

..more piles..

While we were lifting crates, Skule entertained us with his circus mouse, Herr Baltazar.

S-Mi carriers.

The Infantry Assault Badge.

Its needle bent.

The Wound Badge followed moments later.

German money :)

Cream tin.

A field shovel.

After a quick wash in the sink.