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New Book - Mills Grenade Development 1915-1918

Millsman

Millsman

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
A heads up!

I've just placed an advert in Classifieds for my New Book - Mills Grenade Development 1915-1918.

It starts on the 2nd January 1915 when Mills receives a letter from the War Office asking if he was interested in making the Belgian Roland grenade. It then follows a day by day timeline describing - often in Mills own words - the development of the Mills grenade, the problems encountered, testing and the first contract. It then again in a timeline follows operational issues, through to the introduction of the No 23 and the No 36.

The book is A4 size 142 pages fully illustrated.

New Mills Book Cover only.jpg
 
looks good! should buy a copy soon mate :) don't suppose you've further volumes in the works covering later development of the Mills? I'm especially interested in the Mills post-WW2 but I've not found much info around...
 
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I think it would be a fairly slim volume. It's not a period I've researched but from general memory the main changes post WW2 were to detonators, boxes / tubes for carriage and the odd webbing carrier for individual grenades on the soldier. The main volume production ended around 1966, with tests carried out in 1970 (no doubt against the L2 and other grenades of the time), with the last grenades being made in 1972. You have to remember that post war the L2 series started to emerge in the 1960s and they ran parallel for a while.

All the real development work was done in the Great War. The No. 36 was the enduring design.
 
yeah I guess so... there is all the (still ongoing?) foreign use though/foreign accessories etc... I have just sent you payment for copy your book mate, look forward to it :)
 
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Again I've not looked into it closely but India* were the main users up to the early 2000s, where the used the 36 with short spigot in a modified Burn type cup. I've seen some photos but never seen one in 'person'. Hard to get items. Original British supplied 36s turned up in the Gulf Wars used by Iraq. A version, has also been found in Somalia, but the origins seem to be unknown, though the body looks to be similar to South African Mills.

The book is being posted tomorrow.

* I did write to the Indian Embassy but they didn't reply!
 
I have an Indian Mills det tin dated 2009 so seems they were still using them then? interested in the Israeli No.4 Mills. I did have some No.4s (albeit painted up to look like Brit WW2 grens) and a 1972 last production Mills in the collection but sold them now... would like some post-war marked-up Brit Mills. look forward to the book mate :)
 
I really think it was about time someone did some research and wrote something on the Mills grenade and ime sure you will be having to reprint your book so well done and thank you John.

Andy
 
gothica7 said:
I really think it was about time someone did some research and wrote something on the Mills grenade and ime sure you will be having to reprint your book so well done and thank you John.

Andy
Click to expand...

Cheers Andy

It's certainly flying out the door at present. I've been rushed off my feet this week.

I agree, the Mills is an iconic weapon. I suspect that to tell the whole store might need many more pages than I could devote to it, especially if every maker, sub contractor etc was listed or mentioned. A huge undertaking. I also think the WW2 story needs telling with all the different uses, especially the booby traps and bunker busters.

What I have tried to do is bring the people involved into the story, so for example I've listed all of Mills' team in Birmingham who developed the No 5. and all the people who advised Mills' about explosives, of which he knew nothing when he started. Plus there is detail about the inventors who tried to 'improve' the Mills. I was also lucky enough to find an interview Mills gave to a newspaper just 16 days before he died.

It was a story waiting to be told.

John
 
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John, the books arrived today and are both excellent and can't wait to get my nose in them.
Thanks, Andy :)
 
A few pictures of a 1966 Mills with a GE Base plug
 

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Picked up a few years back (well maybe 10 -15 years ago ) ,the dealer had two on his table at a fair ,one dated 65 and this one dated 66 ,I plumped for the 66 (year I was born ) has the wallet wouldn't stretch to both.John do you have any information how many were produced post war ?
 
I have a large instruction poster from the RAF, dated 1972. So stil in service at that time in the UK.

Greetings - Antoon

IMG_5364.jpg IMG_5365.jpg
 
It would be interesting to know if the RAF regiment used the Mills longer than the British Army.
 
Hi Dave

No, I've not got post WW2 production numbers though I do have them for WW2. That's where my numbers end. I would expect Tom (Snufkin) has them as his research is 'deeper' than mine.
 
John delivered my copy a few days ago so I've just finished reading it . Marvelous book . Once again he has proved himself the Isaac Asimov of ordnance books ! Lots of facts but never a dull read . I thoroughly reccomend it to any ordnance collector whatever their interest .
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