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NO. 21 British Signal

jvollenberg

jvollenberg

Well-Known Member
Ordnance approved
This is listed as a NO 21 British rifle grenade/signal from WWI ...

Any ideas if this is right? It isn't in any books I am looking through.

Dia: 59MM
Length: 257MM
Tail Diameter: 12MM

Joe
 

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jvollenberg said:
This is listed as a NO 21 British rifle grenade/signal from WWI ...

Any ideas if this is right? It isn't in any books I am looking through.

Dia: 59MM
Length: 257MM
Tail Diameter: 12MM

Joe
Click to expand...


Not 21 Joe. It is a No 31 Mark II (or 32 Mark II) type. The model was used for several Signal payloads but the Nos 31 and 32 were its first use.
 
Jo . It's a No 31 Mk II or possibly No 32 Mk II . Difficult to tell without the original paint . I'll post a pic of one with its paint finish later . Mike
 
Signal Grenades

mvc-205s.jpgPicture.jpg
As promised . The first is a No 32 Mk II filled with green/red/green stars . The second photo shows a filing cabinet drawer containing dozens of mainly No 31 Mk II versions . This photo was taken in a store room at the IWM about 20 years ago . The grenades were in a terrible state & going rusty . I did offer to take them all away & stabilise them in exchange for one for my collection . Unfortunately , nobody could agree to this arrangement as it had to go to a committee for approval . As far as I know , they are still happily corroding away in their drawer . Tragic .
 
I had one, unpainted but mint. I swapped it about 20 years ago for a German stick, wish I hadn't ! live and learn eh ? Great pic of the drawer full Mike. You would like to think they had been preserved.
 
Tony . Don't feel bad about swapping your No 31 for a German SG . If we could all undo deals we have done in the past we'd be very happy bunnies . The chances of those 31's at the IWM being properly preserved [if they still have them] is non existent . They will never be displayed as the emphasis these days at most of our national collections is on poems & paintings etc rather than "war toys" . I make no comment on whether this is a good thing or not ....................Mike
 
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