Very odd British WW1 grenade, looks like battey

[bkristof]

Recently found this grenade. It is slightly bigger than the Battey grenade. In the center there is a powder box with inside that an friction igniter. You need to remove the cap and pull it (the cap is attached with a ribbon), the ribbon starts the friction igniter.Has anyone seen this before? Knows it? Can date it?I think it is rather rare? Many thanks, Kristof

 

[bkristof]

somebody told me it is a pitcher???

 

[siegfreid]

It is a Pitcher either a No13 or 14 depending on type of metal used for the body .

 

[Spgr30]

Hi Bkristof,
Nice item! Hope this help you!
Best regards

 

[SG500]

Hi it looks like a British Number 13 or 14 grenade to me.
Its on page 57 in the book "Grenade British and Commonwealth Hand and Rifle Grenades".
They were introduced in 1915 and declared obsolete in 1920.
I'm sure the grenade experts can give you all the details.
Dave.

 

[Snufkin]

The attached shows a No.13 light pitcher, body made of steel. The No.14 heavy pitcher used cast iron.

They are not commonly found. Ground dug Battyes seem to turn up far more than these pitchers. Probably only 40-60,000 pitcher Nos 13 and 14 made their way to France and Flanders.

Contract records identify the first 20,000 light and heavy pitchers made in April-May 1915. Figures for June are absent but records show 218,325 manufactured from 1 July to 9 October 1915, giving a production total for both light and heavy of around 240,000 plus the June batch.

Owing to the dangerous nature of the grenade, it was quickly discarded and many were left unfilled. A Trench Warfare Supplies report for week ending 5 February 1916 identifies 63,000 awaiting filling at the Filling Station and 140,000 at Woolwich, a total of 203,000 destined not to be used - even the Russians didn't want them.

A salvage report of February 1918 identifies 72,019 pitchers having been returned to the Bristol grenade and bomb salvage depot to be scrapped. Other batches were broken down elsewhere or dumped.




Tom.