3-In 20-Cwt Gun. Casing stamps

[GWF1967]

Signed and dedicated, Royal Fusiliers tobacco jar, made from 2 X casings for the 3in - 20Cwt  A.A.Gun.

 I've identified most of the marks but have a couple of questions.

Both casings are stamped, B. I believe it is a manufacturers stamp. Can anyone identify please?

  The 1916 dated casing has two N0. 3 stamps. What do they signify?

 One primer is stamped WB Co.(William Beardmore?) the other ALCo. US.  Can anyone identify please?

 

[14276265]

B - Birmingham Metals and Munitions Co., Adderley Park Rolling Mills, Birmingham.

 

ALCO - American Locomotive Co., USA.

 

EWB Co., E W Bliss Co., New York, USA.

 

3. 3. - 3rd March (1916), date of acceptance inspection of case. (The 1915 case was accepted 4th January 1916.)

 

 

 

 

265

Edited 14 February , 2018 by 14276265

[GWF1967]

11 hours ago, 14276265 said:

B - Birmingham Metals and Munitions Co., Adderley Park Rolling Mills, Birmingham.

 

ALCO - American Locomotive Co., USA.

 

EWB Co., E W Bliss Co., New York, USA.

 

3. 3. - 3rd March (1916), date of acceptance inspection of case. (The 1915 case was accepted 4th January 1916.)

 

 

 

 

265

Great stuff. Many thanks indeed. 

[MerchantOldSalt]

The excellent answers to questions posted so far concerning stamps on a 3 " 12pdr 20 cwt gun shell cases lead me to hope that thefollowing question will be answered.

The shell case pictured, (1916 CF & B markings I now understand), was last fired in November 1942 the shell bringing down a Junkers 88 aircraft, in memory of this occasion the case was made into an ashtray for the wardroom of the minesweeper in question.

How many times could these shell cases be refilled and do the markings on the base indicate these re-fillings?  The markings differ from previous posts with a Lot number and the small letters in diamonds, hexagons and rectangles which I do not understand.

 

All information very gratefully received

 

Tony

 

[14276265]

The N below the 1916 date indicates a Naval Service round which ties in with the ultimate use on a minesweeper.

 

Even though the case head is worn there only appears to be one charge marking (CF and no additional Fs), which appears to indicate the round was only fired once in its life - finally in 1942. The various marks in diamonds, rectangles and hexagons are inspection stamps, and it is most likely that the case was filled with propellant and primer soon after manufacture and acceptance.

 

The strike-throughs of the two diamond marks, with immediately adjacent rectangle and hexagon, are interesting and suggest that the round remained in storage until some point before or during early WWII, when it was reinspected at a shore facility before issue. The strike-throughs and additional stamps might well be indicative of a rectification of old stores with new propellant and/or primers. After 20+ years in storage, a failure on proof of sample rounds would have required rectification of whole batches.

 

EDIT: The primer is made by Hall Telephones Accessories Ltd, Cardiff, so definitely WWII manufacture and confirming a rework/rectification of the cartridge case. There might even be a 1941 date on the primer.

 

 

265

Edited 15 February , 2018 by 14276265
Primer info added.

[MerchantOldSalt]

That's most interesting 265 thank you very much for your trouble. I was never quite sure of the veracity of the 1942 story considering the 27 year gap but it seems entirely possible after all.

Well pleased

Tony