Base of a shell casing? Now identified as base of a flare cartridge.

[Jamesey1981]

Out detecting on a beach that saw a lot of activity during the Second World War, found a lot of .303 British cases and a couple of bullets.

I also found this brass disc and I'm wondering if it could be the base of a larger shell, the little scrappy bit next to it was attached i think, but it separated as I was digging it out.

Found with a deus using a modified version of the wet beach program, trapped between rocks about six inches down, the numbers were high but can't recall exactly what as I thought it was scrap until I got home, and it might still be scrap!

It seems very thin, but it has also worn through in a couple of places so I don't think it started out that thin.

What do you all reckon?

[AndyM]

Im pretty sure its not the bottom of a brass shell case, the fancy pattern running round it appears to be decorative, I have no real idea what it is, its not something I would recognise as military, unless Im wrong of course, always willing to be corrected.

[Jamesey1981]

Im pretty sure its not the bottom of a brass shell case, the fancy pattern running round it appears to be decorative, I have no real idea what it is, its not something I would recognise as military, unless Im wrong of course, always willing to be corrected.

Hadn't noticed the pattern until you mentioned it to be fair, although that is the more unfinished looking side, so I can't think what it would be if that's for decoration, the part that makes me think it's a shell is the centre hole, it looks like a primer pocket to me, but i would have thought something that size would need a bigger primer than that.

If it's scrap it's scrap, but i don't like throwing something in the bucket unless I know what it is!

[f8met]

Bottom of a flare cartridge. Fancy pattern is from the paper cartridge.

[Jamesey1981]

Bottom of a flare cartridge. Fancy pattern is from the paper cartridge.

That makes perfect sense, and that would explain why it's so thin. Thanks for that.

[f8met]

Part of my permission is a WW2 US airbase so I find quite a few of them.

[AndyM]

I agree, I have lots of them in polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride and brass, I didn't have me glasses on and thought the scale was in Inches, now I can see its Cm. The brass ones I have do have very faint markings such as year and size.

[old baldy]

I had to look polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride up!
Big word for a thursday!

[MilitaryMetalMagnut]

+1 for a flare base, looks like a 1.5 inch.

I agree, I have lots of them in polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride...

Now try saying that backwards!

Best regards,

Simon

[AndyM]

I cant say it forwards let alone backwards, just love to astound people with my knowledge, not. Its no wonder they called it Bakelite.

[Jamesey1981]

I had to look polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride up!
Big word for a thursday!

Me too, I'll stick with Bakelite.

[RRPG]

+1 for a flare cartridge base, worn thin by the action of water and sand.