81mm Mortar Ammo Box (Ardennes)

This 81mm Mortar Ammo Box was found in a barn to the west of Basse Bordeaux. Units of the 508th had regrouped in the area after the late-December 1944 straightening of the 82nd line.

The box itself was missing the lid, but a replacement was made utilising the ammo box lid catch dug up from the hedgerow containing the remnants of a CG-4A Glider in Normandy (click here to see this).

Pictured below is an 82nd Airborne 81mm Mortar Crew in the Ardennes. This is the only photo I have seen showing troops still wearing the armflags that were sewn on for Operation Market-Garden. All three men at the pit and one of the men standing behind are wearing faded-out, small-size armflags. Two of the ammo boxes pictured above are visible behind the man on the right. Just to the left of the man on the right are two canteen cups hanging from a line tied between two bushes!

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