I.D. this wooden box

[cmp_uc_guy]

Heres the story that came with this box...

A gentleman "borrowed" it from CIL in Nobel Ontario shortly after the war and it remained in that persons family shed until it was given to me today. He painted over the lettering but I managed to remove a bit to read "30 GRENADES HAND SMOKE" with more lettering under that. I decided to post here hoping someone can tell me the rest as it is destroying the lettering and I'd like to restencil it.

Also in the upper left is and dont quote me on this...."M30-..21-11" and to the left and centered looks like the beggining of "NO SMOKING"

can anyone help with this?

Thanks
Rob

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Hi Rob:

What a great piece of WW2 history memorabilia. Rob, were there another small box with this box? As usually the igniter systems came in a separate box to the grenades. Did this chap that you received it from have any of the original grenades or igniters? I believe in my attached photo you will see in the center the device to activate these models mentioned. I am quite sure exaulted history guru Mark will be able to identify if this assumption is true. Karman has assured me that Mark will not fail us.



By the way Mark would you please explain to me the physical dynamics of the universe before the big bang/: :

[cmp_uc_guy]

Norm,

Thankyou for the reply and the picture , Ive got some good news, I just found the chap that gave this to a family member is still alive and well and have arranged to meet with him on the 22 of this month. He worked at C.I.L. in the mid 40s and has lots of stories to tell.

For those who dont know C.I.L.... first they make paint nowadays among other things chemical related. In the 40s they were a big supplier of all explosive devices (mines grenades artillery shells etc.) After the war it peetered out in the late 70s.
Location is Nobel ontario were a massive explosion would only kill about 400 people (very rural)

Anyways, there are artillery shells still being found in certain locations of Georgian bay where they dumped all the leftovers off a barge.

Rob

[Jon Skagfeld]

cmp guy...

Reference your comment about artillery shells still being recovered from the Georgian Bay area...

Can you give more info?

I live 25 km from the Meaford Base, and, having attended various functions there, have not heard of any such recovery action.

???




:

[cmp_uc_guy]

You have to have several divers in the family to hear those stories and the dump sites arent posted on maps thats for sure, did I say recovered...I ment...Seen but left alone for fear of getting your ass blown out or the water

Rob

[Barry Churcher]

Rob, I have a few boxes with those same latches. They are post war (Vietnam?) era American. I just assumed: and we know what that means, that any boxes with these latches were US. Thanks for these photos. Now I realize that some of the odd ball ones may be CDN. Two look just like yours.
Thanks again for the information.
Barry

[cmp_uc_guy]

Barry,

There is no doubt that this one was made and used at C.I.L. in Nobel, but theres always the possibility that this could have been an EXPORT product they were making for the US..?

I'll find out more on the 22!

Rob

[dodgenut]

Talking of boxes, I forgot I had this one outside in the shed .. no idea where/when its from, but thought it fitted in with the thread






Condition isn't brilliant, it spent years outside (prior to me getting it with some old Ford bits). The stencilled sections read something like SERIAL ORD 25?7 (perhaps 2587?) and another reads <something> LAB <something>.

cheers
Rick

Comments from the peanut gallery Moi ... medical supplies judging by the red cross? or because it's x-ed out am I beingg too ... peanut gallery-ish?

? SERIAL ORD ???

Arrow pointing up ... "this end up" ???

(I love a mystery )

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

The "arrow" is a standard British proof mark indicating acceptance by the British military. Most British Army squaddies already know that the top bit is the part that opens the box, hence a rare need for any directions...

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
The "arrow" is a standard British proof mark indicating acceptance by the British military. Most British Army squaddies already know that the top bit is the part that opens the box, hence a rare need for any directions...

I figured that if anything, the arrow meant "load with this end up" and had nothing to do with signifying which end to open ... :