Ring pulls…
From D.G.M.D./R/59:
Rings of safety pins for the Nos. 5 and 19 grenades to be made of steel wire with a welded joint, as alternative to the present split ring. C.I.W. design 3092.
Date of approval 25.4.16
G & M Ltd…
Glover and Main did indeed make No.36 in WWII. A good chance of the above mentioned item coming from contract G/5364, placed July 1940 for 400,000.
Tom.
Absolutely Amazing info! Thanks. never expected to get the contact number, so apart from my example there is another 399 999!.
On Dave Sampsons site there is one pictured, but there it is attributed to Glover & Mail Ltd, A small mistake on Dave's part i think, on what is a truly great site. Long may the site stay open. (any thought to helping financialy to renew the licence when it expires next year, if Dave is not back with us of course ?
So I did a tad more research on G&M.. Phoenix Works Edmonton, London... and Phoenix Works Camelon Falkirk Scotland. Quite amazed they built anything at all when you think of there location in London, this general area was bombed during the Blitz, they built gas ovens and appliances before and after the war, at one time being the bigest company in this area in the country.
A new factory was built on the Edmonton site in 1951 and production continued until taken over by Thorn Electrical Industries in 1965. This site was closed down in 1983, and the Gothic works London were demolished in the late 1990's, site is now a Tesco superstore and an Ikea.
The Falkirk site was the original site of R Main until amalgamated with the Glover concern, the Falkirk site closed in 1965.
Asks another question to me this.. "What factory built the grenades ??" considering the Falkirk factory was next door to Falkirk Iron Company, another known maker of Mills grenades No5 and 23, (I have a 23 in my collection with a mismatched base plug, but body is marked " F.I.Co.")
One item of note, Thomas Glover the founder, was the inventor of the gas meter, and the design was patented in 1843.
All this information because of researching 3 letters on a grenade...
There is probably a story like this for every manufacturer of the Mills bomb in all Mks and models.. Part of the reason I love them so much. :tinysmile_twink_t: