German V1 shrapnel.

I found a large piece of V1 skin at Mudchute on the Isle of Dogs. Wife wouldn’t let me bring it home.

Amazing. In my youth I’d heard of (and occasionally seen) ex-soldiers with small bits of shrapnel in them from their WW2 fighting days but these could be seen as small dark lumps well under the skin, probably only a few millimetres across. That piece is enormous.

Presumably it wasn’t travelling too fast or it would have gone right through uncle and probably finished him off. It must have sat there, a self-cauterising lump, gradually becoming a part of him. Did it cause him any ill-effects such as pains in the area or limit his mobility?

A remarkable historical family trinket indeed.

Anon.

Incredible.

The reason for removal after he died……… metal must be removed before cremation.

It wasn’t removed before he died because it was lodged in his back near his spine, and the doctors of the day didn’t want to risk removal in case there were complications.

The metal is heavy and measures approx. 6 X 2 X 0.5 cm.

Thank you for your interest!

Can you give us some idea of scale?

‘Taken out of your uncle after he died’…

…I don’t wish to cause offence but why would they take it out after he died?

Remarkable artefact anyway…..and a first for the forum I’m sure!

Good Lord. That piece looks huge.

Where had it lodged?