WWI Turkish Shell Fuse?

There is history to this. Found in an auction lot, presumed inert!

Then saw Paul Laidlaw pick up a similar item on Antiques road trip and he suggested a WWI Turkish shell and a Gallipoli connection.

But does the 43 stamp indicate WWII rather than WWI?


So given probable postage issues, rather than sell it direct I put it into an auction house where competitive bids took it up to £60 only for the Turkish buyer fail to pay. It failed to sell when reauctioned so I'm doing now what I should have done before which is to confirm exactly what this is! With your help of course

 

I could do some checking if more complete info were available. Need dimensions. $60. U.S. Is the most I've ever had to pay for the rarest, best-condition European fuze; the collector demand for them is limited to a handful of collectors who know not to spend too much since another, probably in better condition, will come along in a month or two. We may have one like this at the office, someone will check soon. It appears to have been polished, a turnoff for many collectors. This is a very ordinary/common type of time fuze which many collectors wouldn't find too exciting. That type of fuze was widely used during WWI to expel shrapnel balls from a projectile so they'd cover the area desired at the target.

 

Here's a fired projectile that may have a fuze like yours, I can't tell from the single photo. You can subscribe and get the other photos. Wonder what that item sold for? https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/...0118/lot-de5e2afa-6715-485f-b7be-a5fe00f37001

 

Hi Springfield diameter is approx 5.5cm, height excluding thread is 4cm.

I'm not that bothered about value, it is the desire to confirm or otherwise that it is Turkish and WWI. My son works in New Zealand and he'd like to know if there is a possible Gallipoli connection

 

"Presumed inert" certainly got my attention...

 

That is what my doctor said today after my follow-up...........................

 

That's interesting. I can't equate to any of the WWI Turkish fuzes pictured on the web, they all have Arabic writing right on the nose. Maybe Egyptian or ???

 

Wanted this in last post but screwed up.

 

Dba

 

I must not have had my thinking cap on in other posts. Suddenly the fact that much of the Arabic-speaking world was part of the Ottoman Empire during WWI came back to me. So what other industrialized countries spoke Arabic in 1914? Turkey was the center of the Ottoman Empire, so I think it is very likely that the fuze would be considered Turkish. The Turkish Army was busy in other theaters during WWI, so the fuze isn't necessarily connected with Gallipoli.