300 pound M31 Aerial Bomb

A 300 pound (140 kilogram) Demolition-High Explosive (H.E.) type M31 aerial bomb. There is no nose fuze, or nose fuze hole cap inserted. The body is painted a pale olive-green with a 32 mm wide yellow paint band around the nose fuze hole, a 27 mm yellow band 100 mm from the base, and a 7 mm yellow band around the middle (at the centre of gravity). The tail assembly has 4 fins and is painted bright yellow. These bombs had two types of explosive fillings, either T.N.T., or a 50/50 Amatol and T.N.T. mix. The weight of filling was either 140 pound (63.5 kg) or 135.5 pound (61.5 kg).

The 300 pound M31 bombs were manufactured in the United States and extensively used by Allied forces during the Second World war. This bomb was stored at the RAAF base at Laverton, Victoria. The initials 'APU' hand-painted on the tail indicate it was used by the Aircraft Performance Unit at RAAF Laverton. A type example of a Second World War munitions component from the collection of munitions originally held by the Maribyrnong Explosives Factory in Victoria.