"Live" Shell

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 8, 2 October 1937, Page 6

"Live" Shell

Sir,— In reference to your, article in to-night's Herald-Tribunp dealing with the discovery of a "live" shell in a Hastings garden, I would like to point out one or two errors . ln the first place, -the fact that the • copper driving-band on the shell showed no ma'rks proves that it had never been fired, and was not a "dud.", The rifling of a gun barrel cuts diagonal parallel lines in the copper, while 10tating it. SecondJy, the police expert who claimed that it was a "pom-pom" contradicted liimself. His statement that a "pompom'' weighs oue and a-hal£ pounds, is no doubt correct. 1 won't dispute it. But the shell that I saw. hefore it was handed to the police must have weighed at least three pounds. A shell nineinches long and two and a-half in diameter could scarcely tip the scales at a mere pound and a-half. The "pompom" was an entirely dilferent missle al together, being made to explode on contact. Besides, if I remember rightly there were no "pom-poms" used in the last war unless it was in Squth Africa. In my opinion, the shell was a German oue, fired from an anti-tank gun, of which there were a number towards the end of the- war.— Yours, etc., ' ENrSERGEANT A.I.F. • Our cqrrespondent is' corfect in saying that the shell would bear' no marks if it Wero "live." Such is the'case with the one found in Hastings, our statement that it .bore marks of riflihg being due to a print'er's error. Also, the shell was • fonnd by Mr Powrie, of Fitzroy avenue, who is a neighbour of Mr Skilleter, and not by Mr Skilleter as stated yesterday. Mr Sliilleter resides in Avenue road (not Omahu road).