Experimental mills grenade no23/111 or 36

[gothica7]

Hi all, first post for ages, bought this Mills last year, either a No 23/111 or a 36 with an included ring around the 2nd row of segments so that it could be used in a Burns cup discharger without a gas check. It was found with a brass base plug made by Messrs Morum & co of the type used for a no 5 rifle grenade trialed by the Belgians and dated 1.1917. I have no idea who made it as there are no marks on the body. I gather its a pretty rare grenade and I. I HAV have no information on it. I have stabilized the rust and shellacked it to try and preserve this very rare piece of history. Takes pride of place in my collection. Hope i can sort a picture or two as i have forgotten how to do it due to my stroke, if i cannot, perhaps someone could do it for me.I am sadly not the man I once was.


Andy

 

[ron3350]

I look forward to a photo. Must be rare.

 

[Snufkin]

Here you go, Andy - when it still had its Morum base plug.

The Morum plug actually has nothing to do with any Belgian trials, and nothing to do with the integral gas check - other than probably being a convenient base plug lying around at the time.





Tom.

 

[Millsman]

Hi Andy - Welcome back.



Here's another photo of the same grenade.

I've never found any documentation for this type of body and nothing that links it to WW1. My guess is that they were produced pre WW2. After all the 23 Mk III and the 36 were newly introduced from 1917 and both worked pretty well without problems. This new type body might have caused casting problems that had largely been solved with the 23 III and the 36M1 so why change it?

There were experiments in WW2 to use No 36 grenades in projectors and it's possible these grenades were linked to that. I don't know.

The one illustrated has no makers mark on the body. I think another type surfaced in New Zealand a while ago. There was a thread about it.

John

 

[gothica7]

HI John, longtime no speak, hope you are well, ime well buggerd cos of stroke. The picture you showed is that of my gren but i have thoroughly rustproofed it and covered it in varnish to protect it, I guess we will never find out much about it unless documentation is found.

Many thanks

Andy

 

[gothica7]

it certainly looks a lot better now, shame it didnt come with the base plug it was found with, it currently has a plug of the same type but from late 1916 and i will try to find one of the correct date, had several but sold them years ago sadly. Didnt mean to imply that the plug had anything to do with a gas check, just described the plug thats all/


many thanks, Andy

 

[Millsman]

PM on way Andy

 

[gothica7]

This is what it looks like now with a couple of coats inside and out of rust killer and varnish to try to stabilise it for the rest of my lifetime as ime sure it will slowly fall to bits due to it having been in the ground a long time. What i really need is a Morum and co brass base plug dated 1/1917. I anyone wants to sell or exchange one, please let me know. I used to have plenty but all now sold.

 

[gothica7]

Finally found a Morum & Co 1917 brass base plug [thanks Mike] so that I can turn my experimental Mills back to as found. Been waiting to do this since I acquired it.Had quite a bad time of it of late, had to spend 2 weeks in hospital because a doctor there punctured my bowel performing a simple procedure which left me a bit low but much improved on finding this plug.





Andy