British No 69 Grenade Manufacturers

[roller63]

Here's a question for our resident experts (a couple of names spring to mind) Were all the British No 69 Bakelite Grenades made by De La Rue, D.L.R or were there any other makers of these in the UK ?

 

[Millsman]

I've only got the one and it's DLR. They were the plastic experts at the time, so maybe it was them alone. I don't know.

John

 

[Hallams]

I have one which was given to me by an old friend who instructed on them at the latter end of the war. It's DLR.
Regards, Dave.

 

[TimG]

Roller63,

Bonnex is the man to ask. However, as far as I'm aware they were the only manufacturers. I have a monogram by DLR showing how they made them. There was a Canadian company that made 247 fuzes (DLC),as yet I've been unable to udentify them.

Regards

TimG

 

[roller63]

Thanks Tim, will check with Bonnex too. I have at least one Canadian No 77 with a DL/C made 247 fuze on it. Tony.

 

[Bonnex]

As far as I am aware all British bodies were manufactured by DLR. The plastic 247 fuze components for the 69 grenade were also made by Insulators Ltd of Edmonton. Of course the plastic bits are only part of the story, about 20 other companies were involved in making rubber washers. Lead balls,safety bolts, springs etc etc that went into making the grenade.

 

[roller63]

Thanks N, I suppose I should have said the maker of the bodies in the first place. Of course the finished item consisted of quite a few parts. Tony.

 

[Bonnex]

Yes sorry Tony I didn't mean to sound rude by stating the obvious. I guess I was short of something useful to say on the subject.

It is a bit surprising that other suppliers didn't make the bodies, perhaps the cost of tooling was prohibitive. For those interested in the minute details of production there is a monograph produced by The Plastics Institute called 'Plastics Monograph No 24, Moulds and Moulding: Part 1 The 69 Grenade' by J Butler 1945. I should warn you it is not a rivetting read.