Treasure-hunt brothers unearth antique pistol
Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date published: 07 July 2011
A PAIR of young treasure hunters made a staggering discovery as they struck lucky.
Brothers Philip (11) and Louis Milburn (9) were heading for a fun day with their dad on the hunt to find long lost treasure in the banks of Brun Clough reservoir, close to the Oldham and Marsden border.
But they never would have expected to uncover what they did — a 19th century handgun.
Armed with simply a garden trowel, the duo uncovered the handle of the antique pistol buried just below the surface of the sand where the reservoir waters had subsided.
Dad Dixon Milburn, of Huddersfield Road, Diggle, said: “They were desperate to go and dig for treasure so we went for a day out.
“We’d only been there ten minutes and they came running over screaming I’d never believe what they had found.”
The barrel and trigger could be made out but were badly corroded, however the handle was perfectly preserved.
Judging by marks on the weapon, the family did some research and found it was a Webley Green gun from the late 1800s.
Used in the Boer War and First World War, the recognisable-shaped gun was manufactured by British company Webley and Scott.
Dixon said: “It really was a lucky strike, it was their first little dig and it was such an unexpected find. We were thrilled.
“They now want a metal detector to do the job properly.”
The family handed their discovery to local police, who said it would either be destroyed or offered to a museum.
Excited Louis has since shown pictures of his find to friends at Diggle Primary School.
Dixon added: “It’s a real mystery how the gun got there, it must have been thrown quite far as it was about 30 yards from the edge of the reservoir.
“You never know what it has been used for in the past.”
