British WWI Grenades

[AE501]

Here are some grenades. Somehow they have got out of order.

 

[roller63]

Excellent display, many thanks for taking the time to photograph and show them.

 

[Snufkin]

The Mills bombs have letters on the facings of the shoulders. Any chance of a head-on pic of those, please? Or at least what are the letters?

Thanks.




Tom.

 

[Bonnex]

Bill,

Would you mind seeing if there are any stampings on the wooden tail piece (where the tapes are tacked on) on the No 1 Mark II Instructional Grenade (Photo 4)?
Is the body filled with a wooden block?
Is there a second hole in the grenade just below the cap?
Is the top plate on the body (the bit the det fits into) soldered or attached with three screws?

Very nice set.

 

[AE501]

The tailpiece is stamped E&S.
There is no wooden block.
No second hole below the cup.
The top plate is held on by 3 screws.

 

[AE501]

They are a finely matched pair.
They are the only ones I have with shoulder markings.

 

[Snufkin]

Many thanks for the additional photo. JH CL is John Harper & Co. Ltd, Willenhall Staffs. I have seen WH SC similarly positioned - William Harper, Son & Co., also Willenhall.

Both companies produced Mills castings, but not necessarily the complete grenade.

 

[Bonnex]

The tailpiece is stamped E&S.
There is no wooden block.
No second hole below the cup.
The top plate is held on by 3 screws.

Thanks Bill. I guess you know that it is a Mark I converted to Mark II (and that it is a nice item).

 

[IolarFirean556]

Here are some grenades.

Hey @AE501 ! Thank you for posting all of these photos!

The sectioned No3 Mk1, though heartbreaking to see such a beauty chopped up, is very informative. Those V-grooves are quite deep!

Would you happen to know the difference between your No3 Mk1 dark bodied/red-angled-lip-to-windvane-neck version and your No3 Mk1 tan bodied/red-tipped-at-top version? What the color differences signify that is.

 

[AE501]

The tan marking was put on by someone who did not know better and was marked to a system which was not applicable. I should really remove the overall body marking and return it to the brown shellac colour. The other one is as it should be.
The sectioned grenade was for instructional purposes and is as it should be.

 

[Millsman]

The No 5 / 23 should not have a gas check disc, just a rod.

 

[Snufkin]

The No 5 / 23 should not have a gas check disc, just a rod.

Except when demonstrated in "Training and Employment of Bombers", November 1917 ed. Then again, the soldier demonstrating the Discharger Cup is a sapper...




Tom.

 

[Millsman]

As one of my lecturers in systems control used to say "A single instance of deviation does not prove a general failure of control". In other words - there's always one.

John

 

[Snufkin]

"A single instance of deviation does not prove a general failure of control"

Quite so...

 

[Millsman]

Interesting post Tom.

I would say they were using excess stocks of 23's for training rather than using the 23/disc combination in the field - though I'd never rule out operational use if discs were available. Interesting that they had to revert to the 23 Mk I or II base plugs (again a supply issue).

John