Anyone identify this from Tyne Cot?

[pensionpointer]

I did a quick walk along the edge of a field behind the car park at Tyne Cot to get a few bits of shrapnel to show a school group. This item caught my eye which was a bit bigger than I was looking for. I thought, initially, when I'd brushed away some of the mud that it was probably not anything exciting; just a bit of old tractor or iron bedstead. Then I thought maybe it was part of a trench mortar "toffee bomb" because of the shape when it was covered in mud - although it was perhaps a bit heavy. When I got home and cleaned it up I thought it might be part of a large shell fuse or a water pump. It also looks like it might be some form of cylinder head or something mechanical - a bit heavy for an aero engine - perhaps part of one of the tanks lost in the Ypres saliuent. It has some markings ...some faint letters or numbers and a star - visible in some of the photos. I don't think it's likely to go bang as it looks as if it has already done that from the damage. The bottom bit is clearly iron/steel as its rusted and top parts seem to be an alloy with some rusted steel inserts and some copper parts. Anyway,

I thought someone on here might have a better idea than me. Anyone care to venture an opinion?

UQFEGD

PP

 

[Bris]

I think the set square was nicked from a child named Ben.

@eodmatt or @dingerr may be able to help.

 

[eodmatt]

Dunno, looks vaguely like an old base fuze from something, but quite prepared to be wrong.

 

[Blogg]

Look, just tell them it is a heavily corroded part of a Flux Converter from a MKIV (Improved) Land Dreadnought.

That appears to be SOP for one of the shimmering anoraks from a local history group who proudly display their "finds" every so often and gets bored with answering stupid questions

 

[Welch Man]

A highly eroded percussion cap.

Roughly right shape and I can make out the screwing in bit(not sure the technical term I was not allowed to play with big bang stuff) plus the base.

It will be knocked out of shape from the ploughing. The reason for the armour plate tractor seat.

 

[eodmatt]

Dunno, looks vaguely like an old base fuze from something, but quite prepared to be wrong.

Edit: I have tried to enlarge the pics for better detail, but the internet here is shiite and it wont let me.

 

[pensionpointer]

So I presume the very corroded part is the percussion mechanism and the small copper screws are primers that sit in a set of combustion chambers that fire downwards into the main payload. The threaded light-bulb holder-shaped cup is the connection into the main body of the shell and then the remnants of screws on the outer edges are the fuse setting controls? I guess the outer brass or steel shroud that formed the nose cone of the fuse and shell has disappeared. Something a bit like this but a tad more complicated:

And from the markings...British/Imperial, Belgian, French or German?

UQFEGD

PP

 

[Welch Man]

Markings I pass on. This thread may help
WW1 Shell Casing Identify Help

I was stunned at the size of Tyne cot but High wood trench's made me a tad emotional.

 

[DeltaDog]

I think the set square was nicked from a child named Ben.

@eodmatt or @dingerr may be able to help.

Plot twist: OP lives on Kos.

 

[pensionpointer]

DD,

That's a a tad sick...plus I don't drive a JCB!

UQFEGD

PP

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

It looks like part of a cylinder from a rotary aircraft engine with parts of the in and out valve seatings and spark plug base But I've been wrong before......

 

[twony]

I guess the outer brass or steel shroud that formed the nose cone

I was going to suggest nose cone too, but then I wondered "where is the brass?" You'd think the brass wouldn't corrode.

Here's what a 18lbs fuse, in better condition, looks like

The picture below is the inside bit, which looks sort of similiar to what you have.

BTW am pretty sure bringing back battlefield finds is illegal. As it wasn't name tags, regimental badges, or a bag full of Mills bombs, you probably wouldn't have been arrested. But yeah, ignorance is no defence in court.

I was stunned at the size of Tyne cot but High wood trench's made me a tad emotional.

High Wood on the Somme? Going in there is definitely illegal. It's private property

 

[pensionpointer]

Thanks chaps,
Legally I feel comfortable taking from a field edge small shrapnel shards...this was a little bigger than I was looking for but I don't think it will be missed. I thought it looked a bit like part of a rotary aero engine buy it seems too heavy.

UQFEGD

Pp

 

[Welch Man]

High Wood on the Somme? Going in there is definitely illegal. It's private property

Unless you have have permission. It happens from time to time.