| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Amiens Harbonnieres Area, Villers-Bretonneux Area, Villers-Bretonneux |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM07695 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Munition |
| Physical description | Steel |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Germany |
| Date made | pre 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
7.7 cm German artillery shell: 18 Battalion, AIF
Description
Body of a fired German 7.7 cm shell. The interior of the shell is coated in dried mud - especially at the base. The exterior base is corroded and the driving band has rifling. The fuze for the shell is not present.
History / Summary
Body of a shell that hit a hot food container at the 18th Battalion cookhouse near Villers Bretonneux on 8 July 1918.
On 6 July 1918, the 18th Battalion moved into the front line east north east of Villers-Bretonneux establishing their cookhouse at the Villers Line trench.
At 10.10pm on 8 July, the north section of the Villers Line was shelled. Food containers were standing beside the cookhouse in the support line while the cooks were preparing food to send to the front line when this 7.7cm shells hit the container and passed through the double wall of steel and insulation, landing beside one of the cooks. Fortunately the shell was a dud and did not explode, sparing those in the vicinity.