Sectioned Grenades

[proditto]

Three sectioned grenades. Not sure if all are 'service' issue. Can some one confirm if possible.

 

[gothica7]

Hi there,

the 1st & 2nd gren look fine to me, not sure about the 3rd.
The first one has some white writing down one side, i have some similar markings on one of mine. It also looks like a later gren, perhaps you could confirm this with the date and make on the base plug. Same with the others too.

Andy

 

[proditto]

Markings

1st Has HT&S on lever. Base plate ?.C or G & ?. and ?2/1? Body 'inert instruct' painted on. Sorry very used.

2nd Has 'J C ?' on body. Base plug No5 Mk1 CAV (in oval) 2/16

3rd Base plug with rod hole No23 Mk1 H&TV 1916

Any information much appreciated as grenades are not my thing.

 

[Bonnex]

As Andy says the first one is official and is later. It was designed in 1947 (have to confirm this).

 

[gothica7]

Hi again,

H T & V, H.T Vaughan, Willenhall, Staffs.
CAV, C.A.Vandervell, Acton, London.
H.T & S, dont know, maybe a forum expert can help here.
JC?C, James Cycle Co, Birmingham. Maybe a closer look here would help as very few No 5 grens were maker marked. CAV did so, Norman did give a lot of detail on this in another recent thread on Mills grens. It would be very interesting if its the maker i mentioned as its another one for the record for me.

Would need to see a close up picture of the first grens base plug to help further as to maker and date.

Hope this helps,

Andy

 

[gothica7]

As Andy says the first one is official and is later. It was designed in 1947 (have to confirm this).

Hi Norman,

so, this varient became the official sectioned gren for training purposes?
Mine has the cut sectioned part of the gren wall painted blue with the centre tube green. I thought the cut areas should be red?
The filling is some sort of hardened shiny brown plastic and the lever is ROF[P]. Base plug again ROF [P] dated 1971. Has some white lettering down one side but too worn to read. Its in very good condition too.

Andy

 

[paul the grenade]

Heres a Centre cast No5 sectioned in its box. Unfortunately it has a small chip out of the top front.
Cheers, Paul.

 

[paul the grenade]

Heres a 36m that seems to have been white then over painted an ochre yellow. Not sure if i should strip it or leave it as it is.:tinysmile_eyebrow_t
Paul.

 

[gothica7]

Hi Paul,

I would leave it as it is as once its stripped its gone for good and it looks pretty good as it is.

Andy

 

[Bonnex]

Hi Norman,

so, this varient became the official sectioned gren for training purposes?
Mine has the cut sectioned part of the gren wall painted blue with the centre tube green. I thought the cut areas should be red?
The filling is some sort of hardened shiny brown plastic and the lever is ROF[P]. Base plug again ROF [P] dated 1971. Has some white lettering down one side but too worn to read. Its in very good condition too.

Andy

Andy,

The ones that I have seen (maybe 6) were all marked in white INERT INSTRUCTIONAL which you will know is a standard for 'classroom' exhibits. I will dig out the drawing but from recollection the filling was plaster of paris painted yellow (ochre) and it was complete with red filling ring. I am not sure when INERT INSTRUCT became an approved marking - I will try to look it up - but I expect these grenades were manufactured quite a bit after 1947. If the 1947 instructional grenade design was still approved for manufacture then conceivably the design could have been used into the early seventies. I have seen an 'official' sectioned 1970/72 grenade but cut is different and was probably a one off for demonstration purposes.

In researching these things over the years I have not come across many official references/drawings/contracts for sectioned Mills grenades. The Boxed No 5s mentioned by Paul seem to be the earliest; there was a 1921 (ish) quarter sectioned design (that was not manufactured) and there is this 1947 (ish) design. Of course I have seen literally dozens of sectioned Mills that do not conform to any of the 3 above.

There used to be procurement 'rule' that required an inert sectioned item of new ammunition to be made available to each of the schools where ammunition training took place. I would have expected 'approvals' to be associated with these but this sort administrative War Office minutiae does not survive to get to The National Archives (it would seem).