Hi Could anyone identify this item? It was found on the beach at Bracklesham bay (on the coast near Chichester). Anti aircraft round? That’s my guess... it’ll be interesting to see how right or wrong I am being a complete novice. Apparently there was a tank or two along the stretch of beach during the war which were used for target practice by aircraft. Perhaps there’s something in that? Perhaps it’s not so old... equally interesting still. Would be fun to learn what it is if anyone can help.
Well found Buritonian! 20mm for me, but will happily stand (sit, lie down) corrected. Kind regards, always, Jim.
Please keep in mind for ammo are the same rules as for porcupines having sex: exercise extreme caution Just in case it was delivered by the Luftwaffe Everything You Always Wanted to Know About German Ammo * But Were Afraid to Ask: https://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/handbuchderflugzeugbordwaffenmunition19361945.pdf
Ah interesting - thanks for the quick replies. So I just had a quick read on 20mm and seems common place with the Luftwaffe and not much else that came to the south of England. so, given it’s very close to Portsmouth and Tangmere, is it reasonable to think it was probably fired from some sort of Luftwaffe aircraft during Battle of Britain?
From 1941 onward 20 mm was also a standard British fighter gun found in Hurricanes, Spitfires, Typhoons, Tempests not to mention Beaufighters and Mosquitoes and if as you said the beach was used for target practice its likely to be British
The area was used for practice 20mm firings - from the Chichester Observer 17.6.1948 "After a few formalities had been completed, the proceedings opened with a statement of the case for the Royal Navy by Captain W. T. Couchman, R.N., Admiralty Director of Air Organisation and Training. He recalled that the navy wanted the use of the sea range off West Wittering (known as Bracklesham Bay range) for the firing of rocket projectiles, small practice bombs, and 20 mm. cannon for eight hours a day five days a week. The range had originally been used jointly with the R.A.F., who now no longer required it."
It has 9 grooves in the brass band so pretty conclusive - hopefully it’ll surface as to which aircraft used Bracklesham bay for practice the most. Thanks for all the help! Great to give the item a story. PS - yesterday some sort of larger ordnance was found along the same stretch of coast that required a controlled detonation by bomb squad.
I think that you may find that is a step too far as some aircraft had more 20 mm than others so that, for example, a practice burst by a Typhoon or Tempest would fire twice as many 20 mm rounds as a Spitfire IX.
I see. I may look into which squadrons were using local airfields at the time, but not read too much into it.