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No 1 September 1914
- Thread starter Millsman
- Start date
I think it might be a bit better than that Tom. The internals are in better shape than you normally get on a relic. the red paint in the letters looks original, The iron frag ring has been cleaned up a bit but the guy I bought it from was an enthusiastic restorer, and may have cleaned off some corrosion.
What do you make of the stampings of date and maker? They certainly look to be appropriate for the age having worn in somewhat.
What do you make of the stampings of date and maker? They certainly look to be appropriate for the age having worn in somewhat.
The insides might well be reasonable, but the outside brass and iron have the look of a cleaned-up dug relic.
As for the stamping, it raises a few questions. Attached is a screenshot of a past auction from member Siegfreid on Quick Fire Auctions. Hopefully the inset image is clear, but the markings are the standard range of grenade type, manufacturer, date of manufacture, and acceptance mark.
The first orders recorded as placed outside Royal Laboratory (RL), Woolwich, were for 3,000 each from Edison and Swan (5 October 1914), Bulpitt and Sons (11 October 1914), Oliver Arc Lamp (11 October 1914), with first deliveries in November. The letters S&C do not correspond with a known manufacturer of No.1 grenades, and the typeface of the disconcertingly early 9/14 is at odds with period date stamps.
As for the stick, it varies from known originals - image of a genuine one attached. Although only a wooden or cane handle, the details of manufacture (thickness, taper, length, number of rings on the handle) were specified.
Attachments
This was the case. For interest the suppliers of cane handles were:
M. Jacobs & Co., Tabernacle St, London EC - supplied Edison and Swan.
Slazengers Ltd, Cannon St, London EC - supplied Oliver Arc Lamp.
F. Restall, Great Hampton St, Birmingham - supplied Bulpitt and Sons.
It is certainly an important thing to be happy with the item. Accuracy of detail in the narrative of WWI British grenades is hardly what we are about.
I suppose that poses the question "Who supplied the Royal Laboratories 1908 - 1912 and after 1914?"
Well for all wood working matters Woolwich had its very own RCD, so everything was in house for the relatively small numbers of No.1 made there.
I looked at this very question, albeit very many years ago now, and although the Hand Grenade Mark I and the Hand Grenade Practice feature in the list of articles made by RL, I could not find the manufacture of handles or practice bodies mentioned in the equivalent list for the RCD. RCD was the obvious candidate for manufacture of the wood work but perhaps the value was insufficient to separate the costs between the two departments.
If there is interest I will look out a few notes on RL quantities made in the years before the war.
Afterthought: Just looked at my notes. Ordnance Factories Annual Accounts for 1913-1914 states that RCD made 150 Handles, Grenade practice at 1s 7p each. The same year RL made 93 Grenades, hand and 1 Grenade, practice to design 21059.
So RCD do feature.
If there is interest I will look out a few notes on RL quantities made in the years before the war.
Afterthought: Just looked at my notes. Ordnance Factories Annual Accounts for 1913-1914 states that RCD made 150 Handles, Grenade practice at 1s 7p each. The same year RL made 93 Grenades, hand and 1 Grenade, practice to design 21059.
So RCD do feature.
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