War rumors

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Hi Guys:
Can any of you guys down under help me confirm a rumor re the desert campaign in WW2? In the winter of 1945 at the end of the Ortona battle I was sent to Capua south of Monte Casino on an advanced mine war fare course. While there the instructor told us that during the desert advance the Germans dropped booby traps in the form of oil cans and Mars bars. When you picked them up they would detinate. I was never able to find out if this was really true or not in any of the military manuals. The Germans were very acute in some of their booby traps. Attached are some of the devices I lifted during the war. Near the end they used what we called a pot mine. I believe it was made of clay and had a chemical igniter set incased in glass. This anti-tank mine was the last mine I lifted in Italy but by now the Germans were becoming very sloppy so I had no problem removing the detinating system but to my surprise the detanator was made of metal but my memory fails me after all these years but I believe our detectors would pick up the metal detonator. Not too bright on the Germans part.

PS: I still have all my fingers