Mills base plug - J Gibbons

[Snufkin]

I am looking for an image of an early No.5 (Mills) grenade base plug made by J Gibbons, Wolverhampton, July or August 1915. I think it will be solid aluminium, marked with something like No.5 I, JG over W and date. Does anyone out there have one they can take a photo of please? Thanks in anticipation.



Tom.

 

[Millsman]

Never seen a Gibbons that early Tom. Earliest I have in aluminium is 6/1916 marked J G - W on the rim. Love to see an earlier one.

 

[Snufkin]

I think a July '15 plug is unlikely, but it is possible that someone has a survivor from August '15. Gibbons were one of the original TWSD-chosen contractors so it would be a nice turn-up for the books if one had made it through, even if a corroded ground find from France.

 

[Millsman]

I wonder how quickly they got manufacturing? Some of the early contractors spend a few months preparing before they produced a grenade.

Dave Sampson hasn't got one before early 1916.

 

[Snufkin]

First Gibbons contract, TW 92, was placed at the beginning of July; first consignment of empty grenades delivered 14th August 1915. So only six weeks for them to get the first lots out of their factory - but Gibbons was a very switched-on supplier.

There should have been base plugs dated 8/15 at least.

I'd expect an 8/15 plug to look like the 10/15 example shown, hopefully less eaten, but I'd like to see a photograph to confirm.

 

[Millsman]

Could the fact that the plug was made of steel account for their absence? If they all went to the front they may have all rusted away.

 

[Snufkin]

The 10/15 plug shown is aluminium, as were most early plugs. It is quite possible all the August '15 JGW base plugs got used, or simply lost in the mud, but I can only hope someone, somewhere has one, and that an image might emerge.

 

[Millsman]

Gosh that looked like steel. Very crude for an early plug. Let's hope one turns up one day.

 

[EnfieldMills]

I have this one but I assume its June 1916. Hard to read. Could be 1915??

 

[Millsman]

I've got one of those. It's June 1916.

 

[Snufkin]

I have this one but I assume its June 1916. Hard to read. Could be 1915??

Thanks for posting that image, but as Millsman says, it is June 1916. Gibbons seemed to use that design from at least January 1916, as per image below. Also shown is a 12/15 plug.

But I am still looking for an August '15 example...