max Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I think it looks like a portable version of these:Spent nuclear fuel containers. You need to call BNFL to check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Id say it's for transporting some sort of ammunition. I have seen them on TV and in films before but they had a leather satchel. Starting to look like this is the case then, examining the handles, they have a sort of khaki webbing look to them. I think it's a hybrid between military technology and picnic equipment - Obviosly esme is on the right track with cucumbers and so is Bigthumb with tank shells. It is in fact a cucumber launcher and was invented to alleviate the tedium of garden parties allowing the more sporting guests the chance to pepper the lower orders with cucumbers I have nothing to add, the image will stay with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigthumb Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I think it's a hybrid between military technology and picnic equipment - Obviosly esme is on the right track with cucumbers and so is Bigthumb with tank shells. It is in fact a cucumber launcher and was invented to alleviate the tedium of garden parties allowing the more sporting guests the chance to pepper the lower orders with cucumbers It's German WW2 probably 88mm FLAK. Late in the war the Germans ran out of ammunition and did take to firing cucumbers at aircraft. They can be quite effective if you manage to get one through an aero engines air intake. Its a pity that the lids are missing because its a nice collectors item. But you can imagine with the amount of shells taken to a battlefield these and unexploded cucumbers could be picked up all over Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigthumb Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Starting to look like this is the case then, examining the handles, they have a sort of khaki webbing look to them. I have nothing to add, the image will stay with me http://www.lakecountryantiques.com/wicker_covd_cannisters.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mort Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I presume the whickerwork is for stealth purposes - for the clandestine cucumberage of seclected targets. I wonder if it works with other calibre cucumbers or do they have to be 88mm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 http://www.lakecountryantiques.com/wicker_covd_cannisters.JPG An absolute match! (with lids too!) Thanks for your input, I can stop wondering now what they are. The internal Diameter of the tubes is 115mm by the way, so presumably with protective padding maybe, it would house the 88mm ammunition you mentioned? Or maybe they were for 115mm cucumbers ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mort Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Don't be daft draggletail you'd never be able to grow 115mm cucumbers under wartime conditions. Obviously the extra mm's would be to house a packing of bread, butter and mayonnaise. After all you wouldn't want one going off in transit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyLover Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I think it would look nice with some flowers in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esme Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 what is the material between the metal canisters, looks like wood but my eyesight isn't what it was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigthumb Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 An absolute match! (with lids too!) Thanks for your input, I can stop wondering now what they are. The internal Diameter of the tubes is 115mm by the way, so presumably with protective padding maybe, it would house the 88mm ammunition you mentioned? Or maybe they were for 115mm cucumbers ...... No that sounds about right. The bit that comes out of the gun is 88 mm dia. The casing is quite a bit bigger http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/88_mm_AT_shell_Wings_over_Wine_Country_2007.JPG/800px-88_mm_AT_shell_Wings_over_Wine_Country_2007.JPG The wickerwork protects the cucumber roots in transit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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