The Other Mr Mills

[Millsman]

I acquired a nice WW1 Mills 23 Mk III the other day and at first glance I thought it was Morum & Co , who were prolific Mills Grenade makers.

However the marking on the body was different. Normally Morum & Co have M & Co / L horizontally under the filler plug. L being for London or perhaps Lewisham, where they were based.

This grenade has M & Co on a segment vertically placed in much smaller letters. The Lever had another clue. It is marked M & Co M

Looking through the list of engineering suppliers for the Great War the only maker who fits the bill is George Mills & Co Ltd of the Globe Iron Works Manchester. They are listed as Mills grenade makers. I have seen George Mills before as he holds a number of patents mainly for railway related iron works and parts. However I'd never seen one of his grenades before and certainly not a base plug.

I'm making the assumption this is by him.

The base plug fitted was by Edwards Brothers so was probably swapped out over time.

Photos below.

 

[Millsman]

I remembered that I had a No 5 baseplug for M&Co which must be the George Mills Co. So he made No 5s as well.

Photo below.

John

 

[Snufkin]

Marking on base plug for Geo. Mills and Co, courtesy Millsbomber's website. Otherwise on bodies GM.

 

[Millsman]

Thanks very much for pointing that one out Tom. I've got one of those marked 3/16 otherwise identicle.

Where does that leave us with regard the brass cup base plug in post 2 as I don't think it can be Morum & Co as there were wedded to solid plugs for most of 1915 and 16. Most likely it would have also had their /L on it as well.

Could G Mills have changed his markings with the No 23 Mk III? The lever certainly looks as though it has the M to differentiate it from Morum's L.

John

 

[Snufkin]

Mabbott & Co. Ltd - M&Co/M

M is Manchester, L is London.

 

[Millsman]

Thanks very much Tom, case solved. Great grenade.

The 1918 Directory only states Grenades, rather than Mills grenades so I missed them.