What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

18 pounder canadian?

J

James75

Member
Hello,

I have some questions about this 18 pdr.

It seems to be a Canadian example, but from wich year ? (i think 1917 ?)
On the web I have see many 18 pounders but the shape is a bit different, just below the fuze the ones on the web look more wide. example: http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/wiki/index.php/Afbeelding:18-pounder.JPG

This one is ''smood'' Does this is a common difference between Canadian and others or has it other reasons ?


Can anybody help me identifying?

IMG_1395_zps0f40acc0.jpg

IMG_1396_zps0c2fcd83.jpg

fuse_zps1b2181b8.jpg


18pdr_zpsd183c213.jpg
 
Different fuzes are used on this projectiles ,
Difference of projectile form , High Explosive (heavy casting) , Schrapnell (Light casting ), ...
 
The body was made by Buckeye Machine Company, Canada (BMC). The base plug is indeed marked as Russell Motor Car, Canada. Perhaps someone has put together components from different fuzes to make one good one.





Tom.
 
The main parts from top to bottom are*: cap, top composition ring, bottom composition ring, body. The composition rings slide onto the body central spigot; the cap screws onto the thread at the top of the spigot. You say the main body (with the time markings) is also marked RMC Co? That is not easy to see from the photos. The bottom of the body is marked BMC.

The base plug is certainly marked No.80 VII RMC Co.

It seems your fuze is a mix of parts from different manufacturers. Does it disassemble? If so then perhaps someone has built it up out of different fuzes. If it is stuck together as a fired fuze then that's a different puzzle.

*Taken from document MUN 5/185: Fuze No.80 Mk VI/L List of component parts.
 
Last edited:
Hi, When I bought the fuze it couldnt easy disassemble, I have use some tools and musscle to make it open.
It could be it have been open in the past, I dont know for sure.
When I got it fanilay open the 2 rings wich you can take off where both dirty, the channels was still filled with dark stuff.

I think I have mistaken to say the main body with the markings is market RMC.
RMC is on the inner part, (just below No80) The ring around is BMC market -> I was thinking this is 1 part ;) So I haven't dissamble this spigot from the ring with numbers.
The bottom was very dirty, no difference in collor/pollution/filth at the MBC & RMC part.

So this is not common and seems to be put together ?

I hope it is orginal as it is.. did you read this post ? Are these also 2 different manufactures ?
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/81382-Relic-No-80-Mk-VII?highlight=fuze+manufactures

This one has also 2 markings BMC + WMco :http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/ImagesDecouvertes/collfus/nr80Y.jpg
 
Last edited:
The fact that you couldn't easily disassemble your fuze, and that there are other examples with a body made by BMC and the base plug made by another maker, indicates that some Canadian fuzes were put together with parts from different manufacturers.

It may have been that BMC was a prime contractor for fuzes, sub-contracting components such as base plugs to other plants, but I really have no idea of how Canadian contracts and manufacturing were organized. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this.





Tom.
 
I didn't know this before, but this is how they did it -

Extracts from 'Munitions Supply in Canada'

New Factory Built, - The Company secured a site at Verdun, Montreal, and in February, 1916, commenced to build. The factory was completed by July, 1916. It was virtually a receiving, assembling, loading and forwarding establishment for 25,000 fuzes daily. The metal parts of the fuzes were supplied by three Canadian firms, each of which had received an order for the complete metal parts of the No. 80 Mark VII fuze. The companies were the Russell Motor Car Co. Ltd., Toronto: the Northern Electric Co., Montreal; and Williams Co. Ltd., Toronto.

He asked Mr. Tom Russell, Vice-President and General Manager of the Russell Motor Car Co. Ltd., to organize manufacturing facilities in Canada for the enlarged programme. With great ability Mr. Russell arranged for the manufacture of component parts in different factories, and for their inspection at each factory before being shipped to the loading plant. By this arrangement, instead of the three companies each making the total number of parts in a fuze, forty contractors were engaged, some making one part only, others more.

Total output of British Munitions Ltd. – By June, 1917, fuzes were being loaded at Verdun at the rate of 30,000 per day, and by June, 1918, a total of 8,167,183 fuzes had been made.

TimG
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top