Random find, old grenade?

[tommyt]

Hi everyone, registered here cause I found what I'm sure is an old grenade while browsing a charity shop but have no idea when or where it's from.

Apologies for poor quality pictures, phone camera is the best thing I've got.

It's about the size of a cricket ball and very solid and heavy. I think it originally had a wick or fuse in before the screw (this holds the outer cap onto the rest of it now,) but I have no knowledge of militaria at all so am pretty stuck. Thanks very much if you can help.

 

[waffenamt]

Hi tommy,
Are there any stampings or other markings on any of the components?

cheers

waff

 

[tommyt]

Nothing that I can see apart from the two circular marks on the outer cap, these are heavily worn so they could have been a marking originally. The inside of the main body where the rubber ring slots in has a 'screw' pattern of grooves around it, which isn't present on the rubber.

 

[Francesco_Dif]

a question: where (country) have you find it?

 

[tommyt]

In the UK, Witham, Essex, to be more specific.

 

[roller63]

At first glance it looks like the body of the British WW1 No 15 hand or catapult grenade. It's quite hard to tell from the pics, the screw in plug part looks homemade and probably does not belong to the body, which looks ok. If you would like pics of an original No 15, just let me know, Tony.

 

[paul the grenade]

I thought the same too.
Paul.

 

[tommyt]

That looks like the most likely one. I don't think I'm gonna be able to get a better photo but the pics on the web I've found of the No 15 look just the same and the good condition of the body makes me think it was never actually taken to battle which makes it likely from what I'm reading about this model. My uncle's a pretty keen amateur WWI historian so I think he'll appreciate it for Christmas.

Thanks for your help!

 

[sgtlynn]

I don't think it is a No. 15, similar to be sure, but the construction of the "cap" is too different. I can't particularly say what it is, but I don't think its the No. 15. It is certainly a nice item though, I will be most interested to see a definative identification.