This detonator holder was salvaged during the First World War from the German Submarine UC2 by Royal Navy divers. UC2 was destroyed in June 1915 when its own mines were detonated off Yarmouth, Norfolk. The ship's crew of 15 were all lost in the explosion.

Salvage of UC2 enabled the British to study the submarine's mineshafts in detail and incorporate these into their own submarine designs. The potential of military intelligence to be gained from salvage led to the establishment of the Admiralty Salvage Section (ASS) by the end of 1915. In addition to learning about German submarines themselves, the ASS salvaged for codebooks, charts and technical and personnel data.