THIS ITEM IS FREE UK SHIPPING AND UK AND EUROPE SHIPPING ONLY
This is a brass made German GZ04 Artillery shell fuse 1914 modification for high explosive shell for 10cm-21cm calibre shell. The head it has been fired does have some damage from that some dents and impact marks and has ripped clean of the shell during the impact and it still has a bit of dirt and muck on it from the recovery. The shell fuse is in very nice condition still with all of its original maker markings,numbers and dated 1915 clear to see it still has its dirty brass colour and has been very well cleaned it is perfect for display or any collection. This fuse was recovered in 2012 from the British front line area at Maricourt on the June-July 1916 Somme battlefield this area saw very heavy fighting during the battle on the 1st July 1916.
Maricourt village was held by the Allies an attack was launched from this area on the 1st July 1916 at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme offensive, but no major gains were made until a week or so later. Maricourt was the point of junction where the British and French trench lines connected and was a very short distance between the Allied and German front lines. The Village was lost in the German advance of March 1918 and recaptured at the end of the following August.