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No. 55 Mk I Box
- Thread starter edstorey
- Start date
Box No 55 mk I doesn't follow the normal British naming convention of a letter followed by numbers.
pic courtesy Bonnex
My take on the naming conventions is that if it is too large to go inside something else (ie is a primary package) it follows the above nomenclature type otherwise it is a box/tube/cylinder/case and is contained in a Primary Package.
Examples
H.3 mk I (containing Carton No 6) (primary package)
Box 511 mk I (internal box)
Case, Cartridge No. 65 mk III (internal case)
There are no examples of "Box xx" etc given in any of my references.
Your Box No 55 mk I has the appearance of a Primary Package (my term, not the official one) by dint of its apparent size and sturdy construction.
I can't help you any further at the moment.
pic courtesy Bonnex
My take on the naming conventions is that if it is too large to go inside something else (ie is a primary package) it follows the above nomenclature type otherwise it is a box/tube/cylinder/case and is contained in a Primary Package.
Examples
H.3 mk I (containing Carton No 6) (primary package)
Box 511 mk I (internal box)
Case, Cartridge No. 65 mk III (internal case)
There are no examples of "Box xx" etc given in any of my references.
Your Box No 55 mk I has the appearance of a Primary Package (my term, not the official one) by dint of its apparent size and sturdy construction.
I can't help you any further at the moment.
No 55 Mk1 Ammunition box
Hello to everyone, I am new to this forum but submit various bits of ww2 info as I find them or from my archives. I was traulling the net in the hope that I could find a picture of the No 55 Mk1 ammunition box with contents when I came across this thread and pictures and thought it might be of help to post what I know. The No 55 Mk1 ammo box should have two steel sheet dividers inside creating three compartments unlike the one pictured on the forum. These were probably removed when it's second life as a toolbox started, but I would imagine if you look hard enough there will be some evidence that they were there. These boxes were dsigned and manufactured during 1944/45 for the Polsten 20mm anti-aircraft gun. The fact that these boxes seem to be always dated 1944 or 1945 would support the theory that was put forward to me by the armourer at the school of infantry that they were probably manufactured primarily but not necassarily soly for the airborne single barrelled polsten. The contents of the box were six cardboard cartons, two to each compartment with enough space each end of the carton to allow fingers in to remove it. Each carton contained ten rounds, ie sixty in total which was enough to load one Oerlikon snail magazine. The Oerlikon snail mag was used on the 20mm Hispano, 20mm Oerlikon & the 20mm Polsten, the came in left and right configurations, the left hand mag being identified by a light grey zig-zag patern being applied around it's circumferance. Although the mag was common to all three weapons only the Oerlikon & Polsten ammunition was interchangable, if a attempt to load A Hispano round in either the Oerlikon or Polsten it would of resulted in a breech explosion and jam that would probably rendered the weapon useless. The reason for this is that the Oerlikon & Polsten rounds had a longer reduction neck between the outside diameter of the round body leading up to the head & the ejection collar was smaller in outside diameter than the round casing, where as the hispano had a short neck (about half the size) and a parallel ejection collar to the outside diameter of the case. Should any one have any of these boxes for sale I would be intereted. Many thanks
Staff
Hello to everyone, I am new to this forum but submit various bits of ww2 info as I find them or from my archives. I was traulling the net in the hope that I could find a picture of the No 55 Mk1 ammunition box with contents when I came across this thread and pictures and thought it might be of help to post what I know. The No 55 Mk1 ammo box should have two steel sheet dividers inside creating three compartments unlike the one pictured on the forum. These were probably removed when it's second life as a toolbox started, but I would imagine if you look hard enough there will be some evidence that they were there. These boxes were dsigned and manufactured during 1944/45 for the Polsten 20mm anti-aircraft gun. The fact that these boxes seem to be always dated 1944 or 1945 would support the theory that was put forward to me by the armourer at the school of infantry that they were probably manufactured primarily but not necassarily soly for the airborne single barrelled polsten. The contents of the box were six cardboard cartons, two to each compartment with enough space each end of the carton to allow fingers in to remove it. Each carton contained ten rounds, ie sixty in total which was enough to load one Oerlikon snail magazine. The Oerlikon snail mag was used on the 20mm Hispano, 20mm Oerlikon & the 20mm Polsten, the came in left and right configurations, the left hand mag being identified by a light grey zig-zag patern being applied around it's circumferance. Although the mag was common to all three weapons only the Oerlikon & Polsten ammunition was interchangable, if a attempt to load A Hispano round in either the Oerlikon or Polsten it would of resulted in a breech explosion and jam that would probably rendered the weapon useless. The reason for this is that the Oerlikon & Polsten rounds had a longer reduction neck between the outside diameter of the round body leading up to the head & the ejection collar was smaller in outside diameter than the round casing, where as the hispano had a short neck (about half the size) and a parallel ejection collar to the outside diameter of the case. Should any one have any of these boxes for sale I would be intereted. Many thanks
Staff
Box No 55 mk I doesn't follow the normal British naming convention of a letter followed by numbers.
pic courtesy Bonnex
My take on the naming conventions is that if it is too large to go inside something else (ie is a primary package) it follows the above nomenclature type otherwise it is a box/tube/cylinder/case and is contained in a Primary Package.
Examples
H.3 mk I (containing Carton No 6) (primary package)
Box 511 mk I (internal box)
Case, Cartridge No. 65 mk III (internal case)
There are no examples of "Box xx" etc given in any of my references.
Your Box No 55 mk I has the appearance of a Primary Package (my term, not the official one) by dint of its apparent size and sturdy construction.
I can't help you any further at the moment.
All good stuff there Staff, thanks for the input. What is your interest in the Polsten?
