Mills Grenade No 36 manufactor

[Yodamaster]

Hi,
I've found today a mills gren No 36 with for me an unknown manufactory codes : JP&S
Who can say me wich manufactory it is ?

JP is in the green band, &S just under (bad seeing)

Yoda

 

[pointblank0]

Hello. JP&S stands for Joseph Parkers & Sons, Willenhall, Staffordshire.

 

[Snufkin]

If the marking is JPS or JP&S, the maker is most likely Josiah Parkes & Sons, of Willenhall, Staffordshire.

If the marking is JP&S LD, the maker is most likely John Pilling & Sons Ltd, Colne, Lancashire.

The markings of the two manufacturers are sometimes difficult to distinguish.

Parkes made over 4,000,000* No.36 in WWII and Pilling over 3,000,000**.




*Actually 4,446,548 No.36M MkI between January 1940 and October 1945
**Again, 3,138,561 No.36M MkI between July 1939 and March 1945

source - WWII contract/supply papers




Tom.

 

[Yodamaster]

Thanks for the answers, guys !
The marking is only JP&S, it is then Josiah (or joseph !?) Parkers & Sons,

Very helpfull, thanks again

Yoda

 

[Snufkin]

Thanks for the answers, guys !
The marking is only JP&S, it is then Josiah (or joseph !?) Parkers & Sons,

Very helpfull, thanks again

Yoda

These things are never simple.

I would go with Josiah Parkes and Sons - but would have no problem if there was evidence for John Pilling.

The first photo shows two JPS bodies, the green painted one on the right being a WWI item (though drilled as a training grenade in WWII). As far as I know, Pilling did not make Mills grenades in WWI, and Parkes did, so this JPS marking is Parkes.

The third photo shows a JP&S LD body, with 1937 JP&S LD base plug, and there is documentary evidence for John Pilling at this pre-WWII period. (However, to add confusion, there are also WWI castings with JP&S LD, so Josiah Parkes clearly also used this marking in 1917-8.)

The middle photo, JP&S - well, it could be either Parkes or Pilling...





Tom.

 

[Yodamaster]

Manufacturor Code

Thanks for the explanation, Snufkin. I learn something more, now ! :tinysmile_twink_t:

Yoda

 

[gdrobson]

Hi there , I just wanted to jump on the bandwagon please. I just got my old No36 out of the loft. It was given to me on an RAF ammo dump in the early 80s as a cadet. The markings below the filler plug show JPS written sideways on and on the lever side is 7 D. the body has 5 holes in it. The fuze holder is a Zinc one (Z) with PDC 10 cast on it. However the base plug is steel with SEG No.36 M 11 and 9/42. From what i've seen on the site it appears to be a right mixmatch (I think). Could anybody elaborate on the markings etc , and also let me know what typee of lever and striker would be right to complete it. Many thanks.