Post by seaforth on Dec 21, 2014 21:24:42 GMT -5
Hi all,
First of all before posting my findings here i want to make some things clear about me and my hobby. And the reason keeping low profile for sometime.
There a lot of ww2 metal detecting enthousiasts around in Europe. But they are not always the same.
Some search only for the items because they look good in their display. The story behind it is not very interesting for them. Once recovered the item in my eyes lose their worth in historical point of view. Because only the finder knows its original location. After a few years its most of the time even to the finder unknown, no more as somewhere in the ardennes for example, as no interest in the story the will to keep this knowledge is mostly faded. Only unique finds stay in memory.
Then you have the first type but with one difference they also don't respect nature or/and the respect of the finding places. They dig out their finds leaving destructed foxholes. Only to often i find foxeholes littered around with rusty remains of ammo cases dug out glass or other stuf. I understand that rusty strips of iron and shellfragments aren't the things you take home. If i took them with me all the time i'll need a warehouse. But it takes you a time to dig out. Why don't take half the time max to cover it up. Because in my view a foxhole is a monument of the things that took place there.
Yes my findings sometimes come from foxholes too. But i at least try to cover the hole dug as best as i can holding the foxhole in its shape. Better is the relic serving the story by being still reconizable and taken from the foxhole as beeing taken by searchers without respect or left to rot so its no good to anyone.
German goverment seem to hold on to the feeling that if items not recovered thoughts of guilt and embarresment would be less. As most rather forget this black page in history. Which is a shame. Because its not only German history but also from a large part of the world.
Probably this is finacially too because excavating all those area's would need a lot of manpower and i think even more the political fact that they allowed such a huge amount of ammo laying around for years. As well the cost of destroying uxo's
Only recently they are trying to keep the last standing bunkers on private property as most farmers on who's fields they're on demolish them because they're in the way.
As far they're not demolished in '45. Well its a start atleast.
Then you have the diggers for the money.
They are often the worst. Money is the game so no need for delaying on leaving the place clean behind. No scrumbles of falsing the sells on ebay. Didn't you notice?
Watch how much stuff comes from Arnhem Nijmegen Normandie or Stalingrad. Those are the names that bring money. Take from me that half of the relics on ebay aren't from where they say they come. Hell. I could make you a ground dug item from the Ardennes with a 106th decal only experts would know its fake. These guys gave ww2 metall detecting such a bad name in europe.
Even robbing fieldgraves or missing soldiers to offer the dogtag or Ekm on ebay. Mostly to the USA cause be real... You guys pay to much and where are you gonna check? Or even complain. Experts in europe can often see something is real just looking at the rust formed at something belonging to a certain ground. Because they've seen stuff comming from the same ground. As each ground has its own acid making a specific rust or color or whatsoever.
Leaving the dead unnamed if he is ever discovered because how to find with al his gear taken.
Then you have the idiots playing with ammo for the kick or the money, making things inert so they can sell wanted ammo.
All these are giving the really historicalorientated detectorists a very hard time. I've called on the kampfmittel raumungsdienst- the german ordnace disposal service- very regulary. Always giving me a speech about that i i'm not allowed to search ammo.
I just cannot make clear to them i'm not looking for ammo but relics to them. Because of the bad reputation gained by those who are in scores around. If you have a detector you search ammo. End of story.
Only when i tell them stories one only could only know by research and effort i sometimes can convince them i'm not the criminal they assume i am. Its very sad. Because i'm convinced that if not for that reputation 90% of the uxo's would be cleared by now. As most of the ammo is already dug out once at least. One can notice of the feel of the ground around such object They don't report just of the chance getting a trial.
Just searching ww2 sites one is bound to get police or foresters on his neck. Too bad but it is a risk i'm willing to take. For the history is at stake.
Comming back to the point being somewhat carefull putting my finds here, one have to take this stories in mind.
I'll put my most important finds of the 106th here although i won't post my exact finding places here. Yet..
As i hope one understand after this explanation.
First of all before posting my findings here i want to make some things clear about me and my hobby. And the reason keeping low profile for sometime.
There a lot of ww2 metal detecting enthousiasts around in Europe. But they are not always the same.
Some search only for the items because they look good in their display. The story behind it is not very interesting for them. Once recovered the item in my eyes lose their worth in historical point of view. Because only the finder knows its original location. After a few years its most of the time even to the finder unknown, no more as somewhere in the ardennes for example, as no interest in the story the will to keep this knowledge is mostly faded. Only unique finds stay in memory.
Then you have the first type but with one difference they also don't respect nature or/and the respect of the finding places. They dig out their finds leaving destructed foxholes. Only to often i find foxeholes littered around with rusty remains of ammo cases dug out glass or other stuf. I understand that rusty strips of iron and shellfragments aren't the things you take home. If i took them with me all the time i'll need a warehouse. But it takes you a time to dig out. Why don't take half the time max to cover it up. Because in my view a foxhole is a monument of the things that took place there.
Yes my findings sometimes come from foxholes too. But i at least try to cover the hole dug as best as i can holding the foxhole in its shape. Better is the relic serving the story by being still reconizable and taken from the foxhole as beeing taken by searchers without respect or left to rot so its no good to anyone.
German goverment seem to hold on to the feeling that if items not recovered thoughts of guilt and embarresment would be less. As most rather forget this black page in history. Which is a shame. Because its not only German history but also from a large part of the world.
Probably this is finacially too because excavating all those area's would need a lot of manpower and i think even more the political fact that they allowed such a huge amount of ammo laying around for years. As well the cost of destroying uxo's
Only recently they are trying to keep the last standing bunkers on private property as most farmers on who's fields they're on demolish them because they're in the way.
As far they're not demolished in '45. Well its a start atleast.
Then you have the diggers for the money.
They are often the worst. Money is the game so no need for delaying on leaving the place clean behind. No scrumbles of falsing the sells on ebay. Didn't you notice?
Watch how much stuff comes from Arnhem Nijmegen Normandie or Stalingrad. Those are the names that bring money. Take from me that half of the relics on ebay aren't from where they say they come. Hell. I could make you a ground dug item from the Ardennes with a 106th decal only experts would know its fake. These guys gave ww2 metall detecting such a bad name in europe.
Even robbing fieldgraves or missing soldiers to offer the dogtag or Ekm on ebay. Mostly to the USA cause be real... You guys pay to much and where are you gonna check? Or even complain. Experts in europe can often see something is real just looking at the rust formed at something belonging to a certain ground. Because they've seen stuff comming from the same ground. As each ground has its own acid making a specific rust or color or whatsoever.
Leaving the dead unnamed if he is ever discovered because how to find with al his gear taken.
Then you have the idiots playing with ammo for the kick or the money, making things inert so they can sell wanted ammo.
All these are giving the really historicalorientated detectorists a very hard time. I've called on the kampfmittel raumungsdienst- the german ordnace disposal service- very regulary. Always giving me a speech about that i i'm not allowed to search ammo.
I just cannot make clear to them i'm not looking for ammo but relics to them. Because of the bad reputation gained by those who are in scores around. If you have a detector you search ammo. End of story.
Only when i tell them stories one only could only know by research and effort i sometimes can convince them i'm not the criminal they assume i am. Its very sad. Because i'm convinced that if not for that reputation 90% of the uxo's would be cleared by now. As most of the ammo is already dug out once at least. One can notice of the feel of the ground around such object They don't report just of the chance getting a trial.
Just searching ww2 sites one is bound to get police or foresters on his neck. Too bad but it is a risk i'm willing to take. For the history is at stake.
Comming back to the point being somewhat carefull putting my finds here, one have to take this stories in mind.
I'll put my most important finds of the 106th here although i won't post my exact finding places here. Yet..
As i hope one understand after this explanation.
