This is an item posted on another forum I’m member off but we can’t find what it is.It was found during roadworks in the Netherlands together with a german WW2 helmet and 2 bits of a Sherman minesweeper(2 balls from the end of the chains).Approx 5cm high and 5 cm diameter.
.Any idea’s?Thanks :army:
That’s an odd piece in the extreme, I have no ghost of a clue about it. The projection at the lower edge is an interesting detail, any marking you can see?
If the inner cylinder could rotate within the outer cylinder, and given it was found with a Sherman minesweeper, could it be part of the chain attached to the main drum on the tank which would allow the chain to rotate at right angles to the drum as well as rotating around the drum? If so, there is probably a bit broken off the top of your item which allowed it to be mounted to the drum. This would put it at the other end of the chains to the balls you found.
However, that handle on the bottom left of your photo wouldn’t be required for such a purpose, so maybe it has nothing to do with the chains.
If the inner cylinder has slots corresponding to the slots on the outer cylinder, I’d be thinking about something like a spark arrestor on an exhaust or a damper on a wood or oil stove(but both of which again don’t require the handle).
Hi tankgeezer,I only have those photo’s,I don’t have the piece myself but I’ll ask the guy who does about markings 
Hello Rising Sun ,thank you for your interesting reaction.I’ll need to find some clear photo’s of the parts you mentioned.I’m going to pass on the info to the guy who owns the piece,maybe he’ll be willing to make some more detailed photo’s.
Greetz,Brummbar
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sherman_Crab_Minesweeper_T147955_'Avalon'_pic1.JPG
the photo is from Overloon Museum.
I see nothing like it.
To me it looks more like a slurry head to suck in /drain water or petrol from a tank of slurry.
http://www.salepumps.com/images/p/Vertical-Submersible-Mud-Pump.jpg