Over on Twatter, someone ("ubiquevir") posted about the death of an engineer during the siege of Tobruk: Corporal Sidney Nichols of 12th Fld Coy RE. (link) According to the war diary, Nichols was "Accidentally killed by a BP AP mine on Nov 8" and buried at Tobruk cemetery on Nov 9, 1941. What would a "BP AP" mine have been? Black powder? I suppose if the defenders were creating their own mines and setting them, that might explain an accident occurring.
For record https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2205946/sidney-nichols/ CORPORAL SIDNEY NICHOLS Service Number: 1869541 Regiment & Unit: 12 Field Coy. Royal Engineers Date of Death: 08 November 1941 Age 27 years old Buried or commemorated at TOBRUK WAR CEMETERY Grave Reference: 6. Q. 10. Location: Libya Additional Info: Son of Winifred M. Cook, of Honicknowle, Plymouth. Personal Inscription: IN MEMORY OF MY DEAR CHUM, MY SON. GOD'S GREATEST GIFT, REMEMBRANCE. MIN
Comparison of British and German at Tobruk, so a maybe, maybe. Comparing the British anti-personnel mine at right and German S mine at left. The German mine ... Kind regards, always, Jim.
I think you have it Chris. "Black Powder" used as the propellant charge for the jumping type mines (extracted from British Explosive Ordnance 1946, Anti-Personnel mines section, type listed as "obsolescent" then). Kind regards, always, Jim.
Breadbasket Parachute Mine ? Also known as a Butterfly Parachute Mine or on its own as Butterfly Bomb. Used extensively at Anzio and on the Gothic Line. The Bread basket is the container which opens to release the Butterfly mines which work similar to ah "S" Mine. There a picture on the forum posted by me a year or so ago. Butterfly bomb newspaper cutting | WW2Talk Butterfly Bomb
Black Powder was not my idea actually. I'll forward that image to the original poster so thank you very much!
Picture of his grave on this listing (And so, presumably might be an image of him among the photographs.) : WW2 British Wounded Royal Engineer Medal & Document Group Mine... Long shot. 'British Produced'? Panzerabwehrmine 404(e) & 405(e) were British Mk.IV & V mines captured in large enough numbers to be given an official nomenclature.
I'd have thought them more likely to note a mine that was not British-produced, unless the bulk of the mines were Italian-made originally??
Chris, apologies for being wide of the mark on this with my "Black Powder" answer, which is, although used within, incorrect. The answer's been starring me in the face, and I should have noticed initially. The Australian War Memorial photo that I put a link to in my previous post above; this one (courtesy of AWM) "B.P." is "Brown Paper"! Made them harder to detect (maybe the cause of the tragedy?) as well as saving on metal, or porcelain, or any stuff more expensive than cardboard. Poor screen grab below (working off my phone at a function, had a lightening bolt moment, someone up there told me I think) Always remember, never forget, Jim. P.S. Toasts have started, rambling (even more rambling) to follow shortly.
Before I'm in my cups. "Brown Paper" non-jumping pressure type. Arming, neutralising, dis-arming. What a nightmare. Mines. Hate 'em. The poor fella. Always remember, never forget, Jim.
