WWII souvenirs through customs

[MoneyGuy]

I'm in Normandy and we dig up a handful of bullets, etc. from a WWII battlefield. Will I be able to get these through customs in checked luggage? We're not flying through the States. They're still in dirt as I haven't washed them yet. I don't know if the soil will be an issue. Anyone have any experience or information on this?

[CrunchBite]

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure taking anything like that from France is illegal.

1. The battlefields of France have been declared to historical sites of the French state;
2. All items in or on the battle fields is owned by the state;
3. Taking something / or picking up is the theft of the French state;

Not sure what Canadian customs would have to say.

[FlamesAddiction]

You might want to try shipping them by DHL or something. It would suck to get held at the airport over something like that.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by CrunchBite

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure taking anything like that from France is illegal.

1. The battlefields of France have been declared to historical sites of the French state;
2. All items in or on the battle fields is owned by the state;
3. Taking something / or picking up is the theft of the French state;

Not sure what Canadian customs would have to say.

It was from private property with the owner's permission from a farm field. We were with a personal guide otherwise we wouldn't have known where to look. The owner welcomes searching as it clears his field.

[GoinAllTheWay]

If they are intact, they could very well still be live and unstable. I'd be cautious. More than likely the same rules that govern modern ammunition on a plane.

[MrMastodonFarm]

It's probably all fake anyways.

[sa226]

Because you said "bullets etc" I'm going to go with a hell no.

I certainly wouldn't want that on my airplane. Potentially live, unstable ammunition is bad news.

I'm not an expert, but anything ballistics and airplanes don't mix very well. Ammunition has to be in a certified box.

There is an actual statistic available in France regarding the amount of farmer deaths per year as a result of hitting live ordinance with a plow.

Now, if it just bullet casings or bomb fragments or whatever then I would say be careful and don't be surprised if you get asked about it.

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by sa226

Because you said "bullets etc" I'm going to go with a hell no.

I certainly wouldn't want that on my airplane. Potentially live, unstable ammunition is bad news.

I'm not an expert, but anything ballistics and airplanes don't mix very well. Ammunition has to be in a certified box.

There is an actual statistic available in France regarding the amount of farmer deaths per year as a result of hitting live ordinance with a plow.

Now, if it just bullet casings or bomb fragments or whatever then I would say be careful and don't be surprised if you get asked about it.

I've shipped live ammo in my checked baggage with both Air Canada and Westjet without any issue. Just more paperwork/documentation. Wasn't in any sort of special box.

edit: for clarification...I guess any box made of plastic/wood/metal is required.

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelin...curity.html#13

The firearm and the ammunition must not be packed in the same container.

• Only shells and cartridges are accepted and must be carried in checked baggage. Gunpowder and gunpowder pellets are strictly prohibited.
• Ammunition must be packed in a separate, secure and strong container made of plastic, wood or metal. The original fibreboard carton can also be used but it is recommended that the carton be placed in a secondary package such as a resealable plastic container. To avoid shock movement, the properly packaged ammunition must then be placed inside a suitcase and cushioned with clothing.

Ammunition allowance is limited to 5 kg (11 lb) per passenger. Allowances for more than one passenger cannot be combined into one or more packages.

[para transit fellow]

The dirt is a danger more so than the slugs. Microbes and such in the soil can be a significant threat to agriculture.Customs will freak about the soil!

An acquaintance is an inspector for CFIA. Short version: for example, The level of cleaning required to import/export a second hand backhoe excavator requires something like a few hours to a few days of pressure washing. Various fungii, blights etc can rest in the books and crannies.

Agriculture biosecurity is a big concern just outside of the city limits.

Please reconsider bringing soil back from Europe.

[Timbo]

Soil from Agricultural areas are a big ticket for customs. If you have boots they will require you to clean them of all soil. So much so that if you do visit a farm it is much easier to leave your shoes or boots behind.
(Bro in laws experience from re- entry multiple times into Canada from New Zealand after being on agricultural land)

Historical artifacts are probably an issue to bring up with French customs.

[bigtmac19]

My son bought some 50 cal shell casings at a souvenir shop in Ypres. Didn't even occur to us. They were in a sealed plastic bag and he had the bill but when they inspected our bags getting on the Eurostar they confiscated them.

[MoneyGuy]

I'll go against our guide's advice to keep the soil intact and will remove the soil before we return. That's good advice.

I'll declare that we were on a farmer's field and will bury these in my luggage and see what happens. I'll update you folks on whether I'm successful.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by sa226

Because you said "bullets etc" I'm going to go with a hell no.

I certainly wouldn't want that on my airplane. Potentially live, unstable ammunition is bad news.

I'm not an expert, but anything ballistics and airplanes don't mix very well. Ammunition has to be in a certified box.

There is an actual statistic available in France regarding the amount of farmer deaths per year as a result of hitting live ordinance with a plow.

Now, if it just bullet casings or bomb fragments or whatever then I would say be careful and don't be surprised if you get asked about it.

Ammunition is stable and can be transported in checked luggage by both Air Canada and WestJet. The only rule is a weight limit of 11lbs, no need for a special container outside of the original box it came in. Since OP is talking about bullets only, there is no special requirement for transporting them by plane outside of bio-security measures and zero risk to the plane.

Even if you burn it, the cases will simply burst. The projectiles won't fire off wildly since there is no barrel or chamber present to direct and contain the gases. Your example talks about live explosives, not ammunition.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I'm in Normandy and we dig up a handful of bullets, etc. from a WWII battlefield. Will I be able to get these through customs in checked luggage? We're not flying through the States. They're still in dirt as I haven't washed them yet. I don't know if the soil will be an issue. Anyone have any experience or information on this?

I don't understand the attraction of this.


Is there a family link?

[Byrns]

I little different, but I was able to bring back a 150mm shell casing back from San Fransisco with no issues. The TSA even opened the suitcase. (I found the TSA note inside when I got home)

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I don't understand the attraction of this.

Is there a family link?

Not really. I'm a WWII-in-Europe nut. I have a friend who is the same and I'll give him one or two of the pieces also.

[sa226]

To clarify my original point with more boring wordiness...

We are talking two separate cases here. 1 is the transport of ammunition, likely for police officers or hunters. Ammunition falls under the transportation of dangerous goods act as it is a dangerous good. The box does basically need to be approved. Its a pretty loose approval, but the transporter has to approve the packaging. Ammunition is a Div1.4s dangerous good which means low risk, so yes there is minimal danger to the aircraft. The packaging is meant to prevent the unlikely event that jostling sets off a primer, thats why the original packaging is acceptable, its all a nice orderly fit.

With all of the above in mind the idea of some old bullets being hidden in checked luggage however they may be packaged or secured to me isn't the best idea. Sure, the chances of something happening is pretty slim. But without knowing just how its packaged its hard to give concrete advice.

Yeah, sure I sound like a huge prude.

Also, checked baggage can be screened.

That's all ive got.

[MoneyGuy]

I said I'd report back.

We came through customs yesterday and my WWII souvenirs raised no suspicions.
Success!

We did see something yesterday that I've never seen before. Customs officials came onto the plane to check passports of deplaning passengers. Then, when we were waiting for our luggage there were three customs agents checking passports of the same passengers. There was also a drug dog sniffing bags.

I asked the agent who checked our passports about our passports being checked three times and he said they get people coming off planes and asking for asylum.