Polish mine detector

[Dusonn]

Hello Norm,

thank you for telling us your interesting war experience and for the picture of your stunning collection. I am not a big expert in mines but after the mine detector had been invented the Germans started to produce glass, clay and wooden mines to make them harder to detect. (Shu mine, topfmine etc)
I bought my No.III mine detector in the UK last year from a guy who runs a used carpentry machinery business. He found the mine detector among a closed-down saw mill equipment that he bought. The saw mill owner tried to use it for detection of metal object in trunks shortly after the end of war but it did not work properly so they hid it in a shed where it had been laying till last year. I think the No.III detector was simply not efficient enough to penetrate thick wood.

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Hi Dusonn:

I don't want to bore you with old war vet's tales but yes the shoe mine was made of wood and also the Italian box mine. The Italian mine was very poorly made and was affected by water and moisture. It would fall apart quite often before we could get it dug from the road. During one of these daylight sweeps in front of a rifle company a German tank came out of no where and shot up the platoon. Unfortunately our young officer ran into the verges and stepped on a shoe mine costing him part of his hand and the loss of his leg. What irony. Here is a photo of the glass top which was the last mine I lifted.
PS: I also have the German manual on mines in my collection.

[Ken Hughes]

Hi there Norm,old vet stories are not boring,you guys have a wealth of info in those stories,so just keep on telling them please, as they are very interesting.

[Dusonn]

Hi Norm, I agree with Ken, there is nothing like an old vet boring story, I`d love to hear them all! I`ve heard many stories from Czechoslovak veterans from Dunkerque from 1944-1945. The minefields were the biggest fright to them when on patrol as the Germans kept rebuilding the minefields every time when cleared.

Back to my very first question, is there someone who can help me with the No.III mine detector top rod dimensions - especially the counterweight please.
Thanks Dusan

[Jon Skagfeld]

Dusan: Check your e-mail for info on 9V battery in No 4A Mine Detector.

[fv1620]

I used to have a Mine Detector No.III (Polish) when I was a boy. It had no valves in it, I think there should have been three. I took some ARP12 (Army Receiving Pentode No.12) from a 38 set.

Well that needed 3 volts for the heaters which I got from a cycle lamp battery. The HT for a 38 set was 150 volts, but I used to use an Every Ready "Winner" battery which I think gave 60, 90 or 120 volts. So I fitted that as well & it worked a treat even on 120 volts.

The large search head was heavy, particularly as to counter balance it there was a large weight at the top end. The small search head was easier but that had a rather short handle even for a boy to carry.

This was about 1958. The detector amplifier cost me 12/6 in a scarpyard. The large head 6/6 the smaller head 4/6 from Arthur Sallis surplus, 93 North Road, in Brighton. Trouble was the heads came through the post & they were fitted into a box by sawing through the support arms & cables!

I also remember he sold time bomb mechanisms! You could set these between 15 min to 44 days. Small clockwork mechanism ran for about 5 min then as it ran down it made a contact to energise a solenoid to pull the lever back & so winding it up again. Surprising even then that such things were on sale given that the IRA started a campaign from 1956 that lasted until 1962.

[gazzaw]

I know this is an old thread but any details re batteries since then as I have a 4a I'd like to get working

Gary