A friend of mine from the 327th Engineers (WWII) posed the following question:

Dick, you might remember and if not, I'm sure Laurie will research it. The code names or abbreviations that were used for all of the different explosives we used. #1 TNT, #2 C4, #3 C2, #4 Primer Cord (cordite?), #5 Fomite of mercury caps(blasting caps), #6 Bangalors, #7 Pull Fuses, #8 Anti tank Mines.(no dynamite, it was dangerous!)

I'm trying to remember the things we used everyday and that I always carried in the jeep.

I did try to research it online - without much luck. I did find references & links to the Army field manual "FM 5-250 Explosives and Demolitions", but access is restricted. Could this be the document with the "codes"?

Thanks for your help with this!

Okay fellow engineers. We await your answers. I will also try and look up some stuff too.

Okay here we go.

First off found this cd-rom that contains over 20 EOD and Demolition Manuals. Contains the highly sought FM5-250 Explosives and Demolitions. (ISBN: 1-55405-003-0)

http://www.chqsoftware.net/catalog/product...?products_id=58

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Oh, I do have the field manual for grenades from WWII.

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Here's a site that has ALL KINDS of data on explosives. Maybe we can find some answers here:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys.../explosives.htm

O.K. : Just from memory of over 60 years ago when I was in the Combat Engineers and did not finish the training as almost of us were transferred to the Infantry as Infantry casualty replacements. "Blasting caps" were both electrical or fuse type and contained fulmanite of mercury. The explosives I recall were TNY, usually in 1/2 lb

blocks, dynamite in different nitro perchentages, amoniam nitrate, and nitro starch, plus

maybe others. Also compsition C and composition C2 the plastic explosives that gave one a headache from handling. Prima-cord (which "burned" at about a rate of 2000

feet per second) and 4 wraps on a 6 inch tree would cut off the tree or pole.. Also the

"satchel charges" in canvas bags of of different weights. We were also taught the different types of booby trap fuses such as the pressure type, the trip type, and the release type (if the trip wire was cut ). Also the anti tank mines (Tellar mines and the likes) and the anti personel mines such as schu mines, bounching betty, and the infamous "castrator" mines. Somewhere I have my olld notebook from then and will

look for it. The anti tank Tellar mine also had a booby trap well in it and sometimes

used to discourage removing the mine. If some of my spellings are incorrect please forgive me as it has been 60 years ago.. And by the way, "safety time fuse" would not light with a match as many movies show (unless it was split and a match held in the

split and struck) usually a pull ignighter was used for fuse. to start it burning to the crimped on blasting cap at its end.. Often wonder how Clint Eastwood did it with a

lit cigar. "FIRE IN THE HOLE".

Good stuff Joe. Man, I don't know if I would be able to recall everything you did from 60 years ago. Go to the head of your class!

I hope you are able to retrieve your notes. That would be fun to share here.

Regarding things shown in movies. Sometimes ya gotta cringe.

Thank you for all the information, j3rdinf! And thanks to Marion for the links.

I found the 29th Division Living History Group research section which includes a page with info and photos of "D-Day Engineer Demolition Equipment - Tools of the Trade" at:

http://29thdivision.com/research/Engineer_...ment/index.html

Many other interesting topics are covered at:

http://29thdivision.com/research/index.html