A/S Mk 10 Mortar Shell Case Trench Art

Here is another item from our 'Pandora's box' of mainly Royal Navy related items. In this instance we have a fine example of post war Royal Navy trench art, in the form of an ashtray made from a cut down shell case. The face plate is profusely stamped including A/S Mk 10 Mortar Mk 2. Online research indicates this is made from a Limbo, or Anti-Submarine Mortar Mk 10 which was the final British development of a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon originally designed during the Second World War. Limbo, a three-barrelled mortar similar to the earlier Hedgehog and Squid which it superseded, was developed by the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment in the 1950s. It was installed on the quarterdeck of Royal Navy escort ships from 1955 to the mid-1990's and was used in the 1982 Falklands War. When a contact had been confirmed as a hostile submarine, the SC manually fired the Mortar Mk 10 from the SCR upon receiving the order from the captain in the operations room. The firing was done by means of a pistol grip and trigger mounted to the deckhead immediately behind the Mk 10 Mortar. Limbo had a max range of about 1000 yards.

Our shell case is dated 1962 and a further stamp 6/63. It is also marked ECC indicating it was made by Edward Curran & Co. The original length of the shell case before it was cut down was 305 mm with a diameter of 115mm. Inside the base of the shell case, mounted where the detonator cap used to be is a pre decimal original British Penny piece that is dated 1967 and shows and image of Britannia ;the "old penny" ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971. The ashtray is 4.5" diameter (11.5 cm) and stands 1.25" high (3 cm). The item is completely inert and would make a fine addition to a trench art of British Naval shell case collection and with the festive season approaching would make a great stocking filler!