Centre cast grenade and other finds.

[NZEF1945]

A couple of grenades and an 18lbr Shrapnel shell I obtained the other day - the Shrapnel shell still has the shrapnel in it.

The grenade on the left is the only Centrecast I have seen in New Zealand and when it came to me in exchange for a 1940s fishing reel I was amazed that it was not a standard Mills 36. Instead a Mills No 5 - the lever is marked RdNo646009 and the base plug No5 MkI 7/15 followed by three rows of Patent numbers and at the bottom MILLS MUNITIONS CO BIRMINGHAM
The ring on it is smaller than on any of my other grenades. The interesting point is that the last owner removed the fuse which he is looking out to pass on to me.

I have no idea of its desirability or value but I do know that the fishing reel cost me about $10 NZ

 

[butterfly]

Looks to be a very nice centre cast mills.
I hope the fuse (by which I assume you mean detonator), is inert. With this in mind did you make sure that the body of the grenade is empty of explosives? (does the filling plug unscrew or the centre tube remove?)

other than that some very nice items - looks like you have quite a collection there

regards Kev

 

[millsbomber]

Thing the small ring is worth $10.... nice find

 

[Millsman]

Prices for all Mills grenades seem to be leaping ahead at present. I heard of a excellent condition centrecast selling for over £300 in the UK recently.

The small ring is original and is quite common on 1915 Mills grenades. The 7/15 plug is very nice as they only seem to get more common from 8/15 and 9/15 as production got going. I think the oldest plug in existence is 5/15 with only a few examples of 6 and 7/15 being found.

Overall you have an excellent find.

John

 

[NZEF1945]

Hi Kev

The men who brought these back deactivated them and I highly doubt that any would turn up here in New Zealand, so to answer your question - The fuse/detonator has indeed been removed though I do hope to obtain it as the previous owner has it but also rendered inert.

I collect WWI mainly but also collect American Civil War and Western guns plus British Military - guns, ammo etc. I suppose the pride of my collection is a fully operational MkI Bren and an original 1921 Thompson (Ex IRA) together with as new MkVI Webley (1916) and an unissued Enfield Mk II 1938.

Out here in NZ I know of the existence of a dump where there are tens of thousands of 3.7 inch projectiles Semi AP and HE (emptied and no fuses), 6lbr AP projectiles and more - now and again we go and pillage it. In the field close by are thousands of brass fuses from projectiles which were blown up in the 1950s - we can find hundreds in a day metal detecting.

Regards
Graeme

 

[Millsman]

Can you put up a photo of the 7/15 baseplug please?

John

 

[NZEF1945]

Hopefully here it is for you - comments or opinions welcome.

It was pure accident and much trial and error that I ever got the first photos on so if the base plug ones work then I am going to be surprised - I hope it works though.

The other WWI grenade in my first photos has a baseplug dated 10/16

 

[Snufkin]

An excellent - and relatively scarce - example of one of William Mills' early No.5 grenades. It has the definitive lines of the transverse castings initially made at the Atlas (Birmingham) works and then transferred in June 1915 to the Bridge Street West, B'ham, works. Great find.




Tom.