WW2 aerial mine parachute fittings??

[chismuss]

Hi All and long time no message! Following an enforced layoff from a now-ex gf who hated this, and a niggling back problem I recently went back out "in the field" onto my permissions. After hitting some newer fields not previously accessable I returned to where I first hit over a year ago to the field with 3 WW2 bomb craters in it from a German bomber high-tailing it out after being chased by a Hurricane and dropping it's load just a couple of hundred meters from my village.

I have previously excavated many large shrapnel pieces from a sizeable shell and possibly some fin/strut pieces. Last time on here someone suggested that one may have been an aerial mine and I am wondering whether my find this week may help in this?

At the same depth and scatter field of the shrapnel I have also now found 2 chain links and a possible shackle which were within a metre of each other. The chain seems quite thin and not really sturdy enough for a security or towing chain. In the whole area around the 3 craters I have found no other finds other than shrapnel - not even a broken horseshoe or tractor fitting.

resize_20190313_115417.jpg

I am wondering whether this could be part of the fixing setup for the parachute on an aerial mine? I have found some info online but nothing to show that specific area... I am wondering also, if not the case, then whether this could be part of some other type of bomb?

Like I said it seems unlikely to be a security chain, but could of course still be a piece of agricultural "junk" (chain for a bull, etc) - I will also stress that I am following all the advice and safety guidelines in detecting/digging here -


Really hope someone has some info that could help!

[fred]

I would have thought that an aerial mine a couple of hundred meters from a village would have more or less flattened it unless there was a hill in the way or something!

The chain could be from anything really, perhaps a gate.

[AndyM]

Hi, I dont, think the parachutes was fixed by a shackle or chain, the parachutes was fixed through a permanently attached lug that was extremely robust, the parachute as far as I know was only designed for a single use so would not be required to have a detachable link as such, maybe a removable cotter pin, parachutes at the fixing point was heavy duty cord and stitching with a leather wrap, I used to own and race a car at Santa Pod and my car required a parachute for stopping, extremely strong at the attachment point and the rest is a just a big expensive bag of string and material.

My gut feeling looking at the picture says to me they may be nothing more than a section of chain and not WW2 related, however I am certainly not, and have yet to meet any WW2 parachute mine experts on the forum.....yet!

[lewscope79]

Unlikely.Have You seen the size of a parachute mine? Google parachute mine Elmer Sands near Bognor Reigis.

[alloverover]

My Grandad was knocked off his bike from the blast of a parachute mine in Plumstead, must of been when he was home on some sort of leave as he was a Bevin Boy up in Durham, he was a big lad to be working 16" seams

This is a bit of shrap metal he gave to me, imagine that ripping through the back of your leg !

[Wansdyke44]

The iron in post #1 isn't related to a German parachute mine as already intimated. The line was fitted by a small single parachute to slow the charge down during its descent.

W.

[chismuss]

Hi all and thanks for the replies!
Knew it was a long shot but thought it worth the asking! It was indeed a large explosion which was on a hill slope and deposited most of the hill on the road afterwards!

Once again - thanks all!

[MilitaryMetalMagnut]

+1 for the previous replies.

This is a really super PDF site for WW2 German bombs, which is very useful indeed should you find something else believed to be German bomb related.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref ... German.pdf

Best regards,

Simon