Hello Everyone. I'm Centauro. My partner and I have been visiting as guests for some time now. So far we have been lucky enough to have had several short breaks in Italy and we absolutely fell in love with the country and its people.
[Quote = Gala Placida] I am not willing to allow this to happen [/Quote] It rather seems that Esme was right after all. By your own admission, you seem to have taken on the mantle of a self appointed school prefect. AKA Moderator. No?
Very interesting Winnifred. What you have there would, on closer inspection (and without actually getting my hands on one) appear to be four No5 MkII British Mills Bombs. What is particularly curious about them is that this version of the Mills Bomb is of WWI vintage and was declared obsolete in 1918, so by my reckoning they are at least 93 years old. British forces were deployed in Italy during the 1914-18 War and so it is possible that some light fingered Luigi decided to hang on to a few just in case.... Either that, or as is more likely a number of empty grenade casings were taken from storage in the UK, refurbished and dropped by parachute to supply the local partisans during WWII. In the photograph below taken sometime after 1942, you can see some of the Val D'Arda partisans, two of whom are armed with the same version of the Mills grenade that you have uncovered on your property, along with a few other toys of course........ Ps. The chap on the left is a relative of mine and the rifle being held by the fellow (we're pretty sure it's the same one) on the right is still in my cousin's family's possession. Back in the 1960's I remember the Army came to our village and cleared everyone out for a few days while they dealt with the remains of the Partisans' weapon supplies. Apparently they had stored a load of weapons, ammunition and demolition explosives in a gap between the walls of a barn and a house. It remained there for more than 20 years, forgotten about until they had to repair the roof of the barn when one of the villagers looked down and got the fright of his life.... My grandfather once told me that the Army filled two trucks with the stores that they had to remove. Saluti.
Got any pictures Winnifred? Do your unwanted guests look anthing like these? (From L-R) British No36 Mills Bomb. US Mk.IIA1 'Pineapple'. German M24 'Potato Masher'. Italian SCRM 'Red Devil'. Some of the more numerous grenades used in the ETO during WWII. Hope this helps you to identify your relics. Also a new Resistance/Partisan (http://www.resistenzapiacenza.it/) museum opened a couple of years ago in the Val' D'Arda, not a million miles from you, they might be able to help with your enquiries. Saluti.
Comments posted
Chipped in with my two penny worth.
Our preferred routes into Italy CALAIS - ST OMER - ARRAS - ST QUENTIN - LAON - REIMS - CHALONS SUR MARNE - VITRY LE FRANCOIS - ST DIZIER - CHAUMONT - LANGRES - GRAY - BESANCON - PONTARLIER - JOUGNE - VALLORBE - SWISS BORDER - ORBE - (SWISS M/WAY) - LAUSANNE - VEVEY - MONTREUX - MARTIGNY - SION - SIERRE - (A/ROAD) - VISP - BRIG - THEN VIA SIMPLON PASS INTO ITALY AT ISELLE - DOMODOSSOLA - STRESA/LAKE MAGGIORE.......... CALAIS - ST OMER - ARRAS - ST QUENTIN - LAON - REIMS - CHALONS SUR MARNE - VITRY LE FRANCOIS - ST DIZIER - CHAUMONT - LANGRES - GRAY - BESANCON - PONTARLIER - JOUGNE - VALLORBE - SWISS BORDER - ORBE - (SWISS M/WAY) - LAUSANNE - VEVEY - MONTREUX - MARTIGNY - GRAN ST BERNARD PASS - AOSTA ...............
[Quote = Gala Placida] I am not willing to allow this to happen [/Quote] It rather seems that Esme was right after all. By your own admission, you seem to have taken on the mantle of a self appointed school prefect. AKA Moderator. No?
[Quote=Esme] Why did Mark Read have a button? [/quote] Très drôle........
And where has the 'Mark Read' button gone?
BBC Radio 5 Live's Mark kermode's video review of Le Quattro Volte (The Four Turns). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc3PDXapDOs
Fixed it (I think)!
Very interesting Winnifred. What you have there would, on closer inspection (and without actually getting my hands on one) appear to be four No5 MkII British Mills Bombs. What is particularly curious about them is that this version of the Mills Bomb is of WWI vintage and was declared obsolete in 1918, so by my reckoning they are at least 93 years old. British forces were deployed in Italy during the 1914-18 War and so it is possible that some light fingered Luigi decided to hang on to a few just in case.... Either that, or as is more likely a number of empty grenade casings were taken from storage in the UK, refurbished and dropped by parachute to supply the local partisans during WWII. In the photograph below taken sometime after 1942, you can see some of the Val D'Arda partisans, two of whom are armed with the same version of the Mills grenade that you have uncovered on your property, along with a few other toys of course........
Ps. The chap on the left is a relative of mine and the rifle being held by the fellow (we're pretty sure it's the same one) on the right is still in my cousin's family's possession. Back in the 1960's I remember the Army came to our village and cleared everyone out for a few days while they dealt with the remains of the Partisans' weapon supplies. Apparently they had stored a load of weapons, ammunition and demolition explosives in a gap between the walls of a barn and a house. It remained there for more than 20 years, forgotten about until they had to repair the roof of the barn when one of the villagers looked down and got the fright of his life.... My grandfather once told me that the Army filled two trucks with the stores that they had to remove. Saluti.
Got any pictures Winnifred? Do your unwanted guests look anthing like these? (From L-R) British No36 Mills Bomb. US Mk.IIA1 'Pineapple'. German M24 'Potato Masher'. Italian SCRM 'Red Devil'. Some of the more numerous grenades used in the ETO during WWII.
Hope this helps you to identify your relics. Also a new Resistance/Partisan (http://www.resistenzapiacenza.it/) museum opened a couple of years ago in the Val' D'Arda, not a million miles from you, they might be able to help with your enquiries. Saluti.