WW2 Home Guard Molotov Grenades

[siegfreid]

Further to the conversations in the recent "whatsit" thread , here's 2 Molotovs I have . These were found several years ago in a disused chalk quarry that had been used for Home Guard training during WW2 . It was a very difficult site to access & the ONLY items found were WW2 vintage & in vast quantities . These were found one day after a rock fall had exposed a hitherto covered area & are just a pair from a stash of about a dozen including the remains of the wooden box they had been in . The one on the left is an empty Tizer bottle & the one on the right an R. Whites lemonade bottle both of a prewar type . The Whites still contains brown gunge that is probably tar . One of the mixes used was petrol , paraffin & tar , so , I assume that's what it is . The other bottles were all empty & they had either never been filled or the contents , if there was no tar , had evaporated . Older members will know that many years ago bottles could be returned to the shop to get a few pence back for them but ONLY if they still have the stopper . The fact all the ones we found had stoppers would indicate that they weren't casually discarded . Also in the picture is a glass cutter & this was located in the same area . Home Guard units were issued with glass cutters to score the sides of Molotovs & SIP grenades before use .
I hope this is of interest to members of BOCN who have a fascination with HG units in WW2 . Siegfreid.

 

[Andysarmoury]

Thanks Mike very interesting i too have an old bear bottle with the screw stopper that was found along with a practice grenade in my local sand pit, it was used by the HG that my father was in. and i can remember collecting as many bottles as we could to help with pocket money, those were the days.
Andy

 

[TimG]

The attached, is one in my collection which appears identical to the one posted by Bonnex. This specimen was one of a large quantity recovered from a Home Guard store situated in a tannery in Luton, Beds. As you can see it appears purpose made.

TimG

 

[V40]

I enjoy learning about your "H/G". Question, though, and please excuse my ignorance for asking but, why would you need to "score" the bottle? Wouldn't it still go off it hit armour or trucks? Also, were these self igniting ones or did they come w/cloth ignition sources to light with a match? Very interesting to me guys.

 

[Slick]

This book covers the use of home grown, homemade and enemy grenades. Here's the section on Molotovs.

 

[siegfreid]

I enjoy learning about your "H/G". Question, though, and please excuse my ignorance for asking but, why would you need to "score" the bottle? Wouldn't it still go off it hit armour or trucks? Also, were these self igniting ones or did they come w/cloth ignition sources to light with a match? Very interesting to me guys.

Mark . Those bottles are , in fact , very difficult to break . Unless it hit an angled part of a tank from a range of about 10Ft it would often just bounce . They were scored to make them more frangible but I'm sure this was more psychological than anything . The purpose made ones [as kindly shown by TimG] would break much more easily as they were designed with built in angles & weaknesses to facilitate this . Mike.

 

[V40]

Thanks Mike and Rick! I really appreciate the help guys!

 

[Sir Roger]

The U.S. Army had their own version early in WW2. It was called the "Frangible Grenade, M1". Fuel capacity was one pint. It was filled with one of several gelled fuel mixtures and was ignited by a rather ingenious mechanical fuze. The "Fuze, M3" was attached to the side of the bottle with a metal band. When the bottle broke, a lever was released that fired a blank cartridge, igniting the fuel. Never did find anything about their use in combat. It was still listed in the FM 23-30 dated 1944. I've seen a similar design on a Russian site, using a quart vodka bottle.