| Place | Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Lille, Fromelles |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM00539.002 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Lead |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Germany, Germany |
| Date made | c 1914-1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Lead shrapnel ball removed from water bottle : Fromelles Battlefield
Description
Round lead shrapnel ball removed from Australian army issue 1903 Pattern water bottle.
History / Summary
This lead ball was removed from an Australian Army 1903 Pattern water bottle which was recovered from the Fromelles battlefield on the day of the Armistice, 11 November 1918. The bottle was found, with numerous other water-bottles, in a shallow ditch within the area that the Australians fought over during the Battle of Fromelles, on 19 and 20 July 1916.
An entry tear or hole has disfigured the the body of the water botte, and until recently (2015) it was not clear that the ball that had damaged the bottle remained inside. Indeed it was unclear whether the damaged was caused by a bullet or a piece of shrapnel. It is likely that recent movement has dislodged the ball.