Latest Mills

[gothica7]

Got this today, a 1915 Mills No 5 made by Allan West & Co Ltd, Lewes Road, Brighton. Been after it for a while and did the deal today. Brighton is about 30 miles from me so nice to have one made not so far away.
It has an interesting provenance in that it was recently aquired from an old gentleman who was given it as a child by an old lady who worked at the factory so it has a piece of history.

i was going to derust it completely but decided to give it a good clean and just polish it with beeswax. Looks good. Came with a nice brass centre tube too.

One unusual point to it is that the striker is marked with the letter 'B' or it could be an 'E' on the base. I have never seen this before. Is it a makers mark or B for Brighton? Perhaps Norman ot Tom can help here.

Anyway, ime very pleased with it.

Andy

 

[SG500]

Nice grenade Andy.
Thank goodness there are old ladies out there who worked in factories...........we'd never get anything if they'd not been there.
Dave.

 

[gothica7]

Thanks Dave, however i reccon she would have been a 'young Lady' in 1915.

Andy

 

[paul the grenade]

a fantastic find andy. well done.
cheers, Paul.

 

[Grenademan2005]

Items with history are always better. I bet for a "B".

 

[gothica7]

Thanks Paul, Miguel,

i reccon its a B too but its close.

Andy

 

[Bonnex]

[...]
One unusual point to it is that the striker is marked with the letter 'B' or it could be an 'E' on the base. I have never seen this before. Is it a makers mark or B for Brighton? Perhaps Norman ot Tom can help here.

Anyway, ime very pleased with it.

Andy

Andy,

There was a company called Ellaway that, according to contract papers, produced igniter components for hand grenades but the only record to hand would be exceptionally early for a Mills (being Feb 1915). West received contracts in July I think.

Tom may have other info.

I have to say I have never noticed a manufacturers mark on a striker (rather pleasing really).

 

[Snufkin]

Assuming the letter is a maker's surname initial, and with Allen West & Co. coming under munitions Area 7 (London), then other London producers of Mills' components whom might supply components such as strikers include Wm Edgar (if the letter is E), or WE Blake (if the letter is a B).

Blake's were certainly involved in early Mills bomb completion. Their filling factory received an order (TW1214) for filling 1,000,000 Mills bombs on 15 October 1915, at the rate of 100k per week, which fits in with the date of this No.5 - the brass centrepiece making its first appearance at the end of 1915. So it's not beyond reason for them to have contributed components to other Area 7 firms.

Then again it could be something completely different. Certainly a very nice find.


Tom

 

[paul the grenade]

Tom.
I think you should write a book on the mills grenade. your indepth knowldge is a joy to read. let me know when it will be published.:tinysmile_grin_t:
Cheers, Paul.

 

[Snufkin]

Hmmmm, be careful what you hope for, Paul... :tinysmile_hmm_t:

Tom.

 

[gothica7]

Thanks to both Norman and Tom for your comments, looks like a piece of the gren is quite rare. Why anyone decided to put a tiny makers mark on a non returnable bit we will never know.

Andy

 

[Bonnex]

Andy's mark

Thanks to both Norman and Tom for your comments, looks like a piece of the gren is quite rare. Why anyone decided to put a tiny makers mark on a non returnable bit we will never know.

Andy

Andy,

Tom and I both think this is a 'new discovery' although someone may know otherwise. Perhaps you should give it a name and put on record when you discovered it (serious comment).

Well found, can you imagine the chaos you have caused in the average collector's household this morning with piles of Mills grenades being inspected for "Andy's Mark"?

 

[gothica7]

Andy,

Tom and I both think this is a 'new discovery' although someone may know otherwise. Perhaps you should give it a name and put on record when you discovered it (serious comment).

Well found, can you imagine the chaos you have caused in the average collector's household this morning with piles of Mills grenades being inspected for "Andy's Mark"?

I have had a thorough look at the mark and i think it is the letter 'B' and not an 'E'.

I found it yesterday afternoon, Saturday 29th Jan 2011 whilst cleaning the grenade. I am suprised no one has seen one before but as these things are so small and probably not produced in particularly large numbers with such a mark that its been easily missed. Also, probably quite easily rusted off too so missed on dug and relic items.

As for a name for it, well, perhaps engager mark would seem a little less obvious than striker mark but it dosnt really matter as long as its reported as an evident mark new to the Mills bomb. However, i for one wont be going through the rest of my collection, one is enough for now.

Once again, thanks Norman and Tom.

Andy

 

[Alan Alfred]

Nice find, I like the brass centre piece

 

[Millsman]

Green with envy mate! Great find. Even better than the mint Gibbons I got last week for 15.

John