TEXT BOOK OF AMMUNITION (1936)
The War Office, 1936
H.M.S.O., 1936 (Reprinted 1940)
printed by Percy Lund, Humphries & Co. Ltd, London, 1940
A rare 1940 wartime edition of this official War Office ammunition handbook, first published in 1936. Text Book of Ammunition is a superbly illustrated handbook of the explosives, shells, fuzes, and small arms ammunition in use with the British Armed Forces during WW2. Subjects covered include: Cordite, Primers, Cartridges, High Explosive shells, Shrapnel Shells, Projectiles for B.L. guns, ammunition for Q.F. guns, Fuzes, Rockets, Smoke shells, Pyrotechnics, Mortar bombs, Grenades, and Small Arms ammunition. The book is very well illustrated with coloured scale drawings of shells, cartridges, bullets, bombs, grenades, and fuzes, along with other diagrams, charts, and line drawings of ammunition, explosive charges, and equipment. The description of the various types of ammunition is comprehensive and detailed, and includes details of markings, manufacture, storage and use. For anyone interested in the ammunition of the British Army during the Second World War, this is an invaluable reference work.
The book is signed on the front endpapers by 'J. Hutchins, 11 O.A.C. RAOC' and has an ink stamp of 'B Branch, R.A.O.C. S.of I., Jun 1941, Bramley, Nr Basingstoke' on the title page. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps School of Ammunition was located at the Bramley Training Area, south of the village of Bramley in Hampshire. Opened in 1917 as an ammunition depot, the School of Ammunition was established on the site in 1922. By the 1930's almost all of the British army ammunition stocks were held at Bramley.
Condition:
In good condition. The boards are in good condition, with some bumping to the edges and corners, and some fading to the top and bottom of the spine. The binding and hinges are very good and secure. The text is in good condition, with old water marks to the edges of some pages, some annotation and amendments by the original owner, and some pasted-in amendments. The coloured plates, fold-outs, and illustrations are in very good condition. The book is signed on the front endpapers by 'J. Hutchins, 11 O.A.C. RAOC' and has an ink stamp of 'B Branch, R.A.O.C. S.of I., Jun 1941, Bramley, Nr Basingstoke' on the title page.
Published: 1936 (this edition printed August 1940)
Red boards with black titling
Illustrated with numerous coloured plates and line drawings
Dimensions: 155mm x 245mm
Pages: 322
