Bomb Incendiary 1¼ lb. Mk I

[Antoon]

This incendiary device is often mentioned as a hand-grenade, as for instance in the American OP 1665.

But it is not a grenade otherwise it must have had a service number (No.).

I only know the No. 1 till No. 95 (Hand- and Rifle grenades), before the L numbers were used.

At the RAF it was known as the "Bomb, Aircraft, Incendiary, 1¼ lb., Mk I" ( the incendiary bomb secured in an adapter with a spike) and is mentioned in the AP 1661G, Volume I, Demolition Explosives, Destructors, and associated stores.

Belongs this item to the Land service store: Demolition material? If yes what is the name of the official British manual?

Greetings - Antoon

 

[TimG]

The only reference to the Bomb, Incendiary 1 1/4 lb. Mk I being used for Land Service, relates solely to packaging. I haven't seen any reference to its use in the various Demolition publications (however, I very much doubt I've seen them all). It was most likely an exigency of war issue, in the same way that Depth Charges were issued to Land Service as demolition charges.

TimG

 

[Dreamk]

see post here:

ID Please, what is this greande?

Gents I was in my local museum the weekend and I was wondering what type of grenade is this and what nation used it. I am after as much detail as possible for a friends college project.

www.bocn.co.uk

Bomb Incendiary 1 1/4 lb Mark I - British

Basically a commercial 'Brasso' tin filled with thermite topped off with a priming element. Fuze was of French origin and gave a 5-sec delay. Early 1940's design. Used as a 'destructor' by the Army (equipment denial) and I believe your photograph shows a version used by the RAF for aircraft destruction (was fitted with a clip-on spike for stabbing through aircraft skin). Dare I say it but they were also used by the SOE for a short time during a supply shortage of their own 2 1/2 lb incendiary.

Early designation was Grenade rather than Bomb.

https://www.bocn.co.uk/attachments/dd-l-11082-gren-hand-incendiary-1-25-part-1-pdf.56850/

 

[Alan1]

Hi Antoon,
Sorry for delay in response, knew I'd seen something on this, couldn't remember where.
In fact "The 11/4-lb Hand Incendiary Bomb" is described in Appendix 1 of Small Arms Training, Pam 13, Grenade, and as Section 3 Small Arms Training, Volume 1, Pam 13, 1937, supplement No 2, dated 1941. The wording is the same in both publications. No illustration, unfortunately, of the bomb itself, but you have a decent pic from previous entry.
Tim is certainly correct in that wartime exigencies placed this demolition store in an unusual publication.
Alan1.