[BMF]

Hi

I found this in the basement of the family farm. The metal box was full of sawdust and detonators (wich I got
rid of, I had to get rid of some old dynamite as well). The box is german, but
is it WW2? Or even military? I have a couple of similar boxes too, just of norwegian
manufacture. When I was in the army in '94 - '95, we had these lessions with
explosives. The detonators we used were german from ww2. They were in wooden
blocks with holes drilled for the detonators.
Can somebody tell me about the markings?
Why the overstamp? Looks like "gmm" stamped on top of "epa".

Thanks.

 

[geologyjohn]

Hi BMF. I have some information which may be of interest to you.
The detonator or blasting cap pliers appear to have been manufactured for the German military in WW2. They were made by a company that used the code "epa". I do not know which company that is. At some point after they were made, the were modified or re-worked by the German company that utilized the code "gmm". This was also prior to May 1945. This company was Eckardt & Lohkamp, Berlin W35, Lutzowstrasse 89/98. They were known as a company that manufactured tools and machinery. Your pliers also have the "WaA127" which is the mark of an individual who inspected equipment to be accepted into the German military during WW2. Wherever that inspector worked, he took his "WaA127" stamp with him and applied its mark to equipment that he inspected. Other inspectors did not use his stamp number.
I do not know the age of the detonator/blasting cap box that you have in your picture. However, I do not see any German military markings on it. I hope that this is of some help. Thank you for posting the picture. Take care, Geologyjohn in California.

 

[BMF]

Geologyjohn: Thanks a lot for the info! About the box, it's probably civillian, and made after 1931. The Zunderfabrik Troisdorf were est. in 1886 (company were called Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoffgesellschaft). In 1931 they fusioned with the Dynamit gesellshaft Alfred Nobel.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%BCnderfabrik_Troisdorf

 

[19landser42]

CharlesW needs to follow the rules.