9th Essex Bomb Thrower

[shaymen]

Thought I would share this with you.

Did a Battalion have specific Bomb Throwers - Was it recognised as a specific skill or did everyone have a go ?

Glyn

[Steven Broomfield]

The Bomber was a trade with it's own sleeve badge. A rifle platoon would be made up of Lewis Gunners, Bombers, Rifle-and-bayonet men and Rifle Bombers, and each was a separate trade.

In the attack, hand grenades would be dished-out to all riflemen, but with instructions that they were to be kept for bombers to use - the ordinary rifle-and-bayonet man was not to throw them himself.

[shaymen]

Steven

Many thanks for that info

Now I know

Glyn

[John_Hartley]

Glyn

I've come across a couple or so newspaper reports about 6/Manchester men who were specialist bombers and had joined together from the local cricket team. Ability to throw a ball or grenade accurately??

John

[Bob Coulson]

From the war diary of the 2nd Yorkshires at Neuve Chapelle, 11th March 1915.

"A brilliant attack by the battalion bomb throwers under Corporal Anderson succeeded in bombing out and capturing 62 Germans in a trench opposite our left."

Cpl Anderson was later awarded the VC.

Bob.

[Robert Dunlop]

The variety and complexity of the earliest types of grenades required specialist Bombers. When the Mills grenade became the standard, all men were required to become proficient in its use. IIRC, the Grenadier Guards became concerned about specialist grenade-throwers being called Grenadiers, hence the term Bomber.

Robert

[shaymen]

Thanks all

Some really interesting stuff.

John - my initial thoughts were that Cricket players would make excellent Bomb throwers.

Glyn

[themonsstar]

Hi Gyln

Grenade, Red Flames badge ( Upper Right)

Infantry Bomber AO 403/1915

The World War 1 equivalent of the earlier ' grenadier' he was among the first troops 'over the top' and his job was to throw grenades down into the enemy's trenches to stun the defenders until the main assault could attack with bayonets.

The bombing officer's badge was similar but with white flames.

cheers Roy

[Max Poilu]

Just a bit more background info. The term 'grenade' itself is now generally agreed to be a derivation of the Spanish word for a pomegranate fruit to which early grenades resembled. History describes the use of grenades from the 16th century but simpler non-explosive projectiles were used from earlier times containing flammable materials or even poison.

The first grenades in general use were incredibly similar to the French ball grenade (the main service grenade in the French army at the start of the Great War) basically an iron sphere, filled with black powder and a simple length of fuze.

'Grenadiers' themselves were first introduced into the French army in 1667 with four highly trained men per company. The British introduced a grenade company per regiment in 1684. The grenades then were poorly manufactured and required skill and great courage in use. The grenade throwers would typically lead the attack - Grenadiers were the bravest, strongest soldiers hand picked and well trained and the reputation that goes with their name obviously remains to this day.

It was following the battle of Waterloo that the flaming badge was introduced when the victorious First Regiment of Foot Guards became the Grenadier Guards.

The use of grenades in anything other than siege warfare really died out in the 17th century with the improvenments in musketry. It's renaissance came in the Russo-Japanese war and of course in the entrenched Great War the grenade really became the infantryman's principal weapon above the rifle.

As has been said the first grenades in the Great War were only utilised by specially trained men, this changed with time and perhaps as the war progressed more men hurled a grenade in anger than actually fired their SMLE?

[J T Gray]

I was very interested to see this thread as my grandfather was a Bomber in the 11th Essex. There was a thread on this a while ago - grenades were supposed to be BOWLED like acricket ball rather than thrown - this gave them a high trajectory so they would drop into a trench (one hoped).

Kristof posted a picture from a 1920s Belgian Army training manual - straight out of the MCC coaching guide! He has thrown resin Mills, and it is not an easy action for the uninitiated (and the initiated - 25 years of trying and I'm still a bit of apie-thrower)

Adrian

[shaymen]

Thanks again all for loads of very interesting info.

The varied knowledge on this Forum is fantastic.

Cheers

Glyn

[themonsstar]

3 photos of Infntry Bomber

1. Bomber with The Manchester Regt

[shaymen]

Roy

What a great photo

Thanks for posting it

Regards

Glyn

[John_Hartley]

Roy

No doubt a daft question, but how do you know they are bombers?

John

[PhilB]

Does the seated man have a grenade badge on his lower right sleeve?

I was surprised at the man in the first post saying he could throw 200 bombs in 3 hours. That`s about 1 per minute? Phil B

[themonsstar]

Roy

No doubt a daft question, but how do you know they are bombers?

John

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The One in the middle has a Grenade badge on hes right arm. I do not now which Batt. Pos 1st or 2nd Batt. cheers Roy

[themonsstar]

Hi All

This is the Grenade badge Red Flames (AO 403/1915)

for Infantry Bomber Cheers Roy

[themonsstar]

A Royal Fusiliers Lt Bombing Officer.

Both photo and badge in last post are are from British Army Proficiency Badges.

[themonsstar]

This is Cpl Field 2858 cse book on bombing at Warminster he was with the 2/9 London Regt. The book if full of info on Grenades.