New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

Relics from the USMC from World War 2

bittenbythebug		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 7:00:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Hi guys, just thought I would share some relic items I found today buried for 65+ years after the USMC left wellington in 1945. (probably buried late 45 or early 46) Spent half my day digging a hole and this is several of the interesting items I came up with. I can tell you that those boys drank a lot of beer, coke, and used a lot of hair tonic. Been digging up bits and bobs since I was a kid. From left to right are the remains of a cleaning rod, a coke bottle made in New Zealand, a coke bottle made in San Diego California, a small vial (still with the cork in it), a canteen fork, and the remains of a 30/06 casing. File Attachment(s): IMG_3903.JPG

bittenbythebug		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 7:09:50 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Oh any you metal detector guys would have a field day, the detector goes mad when walking over the area.

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 7:14:26 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		There is a great deal of this material to be dug up apparently - if you are finding the domestic stuff then somewhere not so far away will be the dump where all the materials were thrown away when they left New Zealand - the materials of war - cartridges - live, dead and indifferent - Guns or parts thereof - uniforms or parts thereof and so on. I do admit though that the US made Coke Bottle is a great find to get so that one would go into my genuine treasure pile - good one - I like it!

bittenbythebug		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 7:30:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Haha I thought you might! Yes there are a few rumours (most urban myths) as to where they buried the good stuff (jeeps, harleys, etc) but I think most of that gear was thrown overboard in Cook Straight. I know of a couple of locations where they say the "good stuff" is suposed to be buried but It would be a massive job to recover it, approach land owners, get round any government issues etc. I understand that they may be putting together a museum near McKays Crossing for the USMC, a few of these items may end up here if they do.

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 8:07:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		I visited a fellow some time ago who showed me what he had found as a guest at a dig in the North Island - empty cartridge case ejection chutes from fighters, ammunition by the heap and an amazing assortment of stuff so it is there. I know where there is a place where I would not be at all surprised if a chap could find hundreds of kgs of brass fuse caps from exploded artillery shells - I got 14 in ten minutes! I also found 6lbr AP projectiles and other items...more than a person can cope with. A friend of mine borrowed my metal detector and following rumours and reports found and excavated two gun barrels - a 64 pounder and a seven tonner, both muzzle loaders. Apparently at Taieri Airport there is a large amount of material buried. I saw a report of a young fellow in the North Island who was getting a large amount of material from a valley on his parents farm or next door...so its there.

bittenbythebug		Posted : Friday, 23 December 2011 8:36:56 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Yeah I beleive you having found it myself. Could dig for a year full time to go through the whole area. Be interesting to see if anything larger is buried deeper but that would require some heavy machinery and with the glass bottles, slow and steady is the key otherwise they get damaged. Your an interesting fulla Lammerlaw, be interesting to dig gold with you and hear a few of your yarns. Will post some more pics up when I have more of a dig around before New Year. Edited by user Friday, 23 December 2011 8:47:03 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

madsonicboating		Posted : Sunday, 25 December 2011 2:41:39 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 21/03/2011(UTC) Posts: 674 Thanks: 187 times Was thanked: 157 time(s) in 127 post(s)		very very cool thread and finds there...love a good dig site its amazing what can turn up!! keep at it and keep the pics coming :) Dan
		WWW

Lammerlaw		Posted : Sunday, 25 December 2011 11:16:03 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: bittenbythebug Yeah I beleive you having found it myself. Could dig for a year full time to go through the whole area. Be interesting to see if anything larger is buried deeper but that would require some heavy machinery and with the glass bottles, slow and steady is the key otherwise they get damaged. Your an interesting fulla Lammerlaw, be interesting to dig gold with you and hear a few of your yarns. Will post some more pics up when I have more of a dig around before New Year. Such things as a trip out can be arranged - we all have our wee specialties though and I know tha tmany might be envious of some of the gold I find but tome its 'old hat' and when I see some of the treasures you fellows get I really go gaa gaa - I think the Coke Bottle is really top dog - I just love it and would be over the moon if I found one of WWII vintage. This might sound weird but I think I would get more of a kick finding that than I would getting a 6 gramme nugget. I see some of the silver coins and they spin my wheels as well. The only thing about your sort of digging is that its too hard work - my idea is a bulldozer - preferrably some where in Egypt or Troy, Ephesus or the ancient burial mounds of Ur! Actually my dream dig would be at Mohenjodaro - a city which was destroyed several thousand years ago in an atomic blast...theres more to this planet than we know...food for thought guys.

oroplata		Posted : Sunday, 25 December 2011 11:45:03 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		I got a couple of these - http://deepers.com/English/Mag505.eng.html - sitting in the garage not being used much, so if someone knows of a site near CHCH that might have some interesting big iron objects buried at depth, I'm all up for a team hunt. :)
		WWW

chrischch		Posted : Sunday, 25 December 2011 12:00:07 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 811 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 192 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 104 post(s)		Asteroids!!!! Did ya see that program on the asteroid hunters using all sorts of detectors....One was a Fisher F75
		Fisher Goldbug Pro, Fisher F2, Garrett Propointer.

bittenbythebug		Posted : Sunday, 1 January 2012 7:21:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Some new finds from the USMC.... Using the metal detector last week I had a large hit so I marked it with fluro paint and had a dig for it on Friday. Down about 300mm I came across the top of the 60litre barrel on its side (shown on the first photo). Pity there was nothing in it as it was perfect inside (being double skinned) and looks to have been a food container. Around the barrel I found the items on the second photo.... bits of plate and a cup, a ceramic power insulator, NZ made toothbrush (not pictured), another NZ made Coke bottle (1939) (thats 4 NZ ones and 1 USA made one I now have), a size 8 leather boot, a nice green spirit bottle, and a small clear bottle with a bakerlite lid. The second metal item in the first photo is some sort of pair of trays which are stuck together (until i get the waterblaster on them) which was another hit on the detector. ...back tomorrow for some more.... Edited by user Sunday, 1 January 2012 7:28:13 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified File Attachment(s): IMG_3972.JPG IMG_3973.JPG

bittenbythebug		Posted : Thursday, 5 January 2012 1:26:28 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Coke bottles so far... Two in the front, both green US made, one in San Diego, one in San Francisco. Four clear ones at the back, all NZ made dated 1939 casting when Coke was introduced into NZ. Not bad for being run over with a bull dozer and buried for 65 years then dug up without breaking. Really solid glass and only held 6fl.ozs. File Attachment(s): DSCF0002.JPG

Lammerlaw		Posted : Thursday, 5 January 2012 1:50:33 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: bittenbythebug Coke bottles so far... Two in the front, both green US made, one in San Diego, one in San Francisco. Four clear ones at the back, all NZ made dated 1939 casting when Coke was introduced into NZ. Not bad for being run over with a bull dozer and buried for 65 years then dug up without breaking. Really solid glass and only held 6fl.ozs. Those yankee ones are just the most - I think you will be surprised how much they are worth - I would not be surprised if they were worth quite a lot back in the good old US of A. If I found them they would take pride of place methinks.

creamer		Posted : Thursday, 5 January 2012 4:19:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 19/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 2,022 Location: Bay of Islands Thanks: 2289 times Was thanked: 525 time(s) in 391 post(s)		Allways good to see other treasures Bittenbythebug. Shane
		Garrett Ace 350 Xpointer www.nzfossickers.co.nz
		WWW

bittenbythebug		Posted : Thursday, 5 January 2012 9:51:20 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 27/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 56 Location: Wellington Thanks: 22 times Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Yep they take pride of place next to my model black powder cannons!