Grenade training accidents

[Moonraker]

Fropm New Zealand's Ashburton Guardian, November 16, 1916:

WELLINGTON, November 14. The officer in charge of Base Records supplies the following: —Lieutenant C. F. Carey was recently reported killed at Sling Camp. Salisbury Plain, as the result of an accident caused by bomb throwing. Cable advice now is to hand from Brigadier-General Richardson, stating that Lieutenant Carey's action saved the life of Private A. H. Hounsell, and that this was the fourth occasion on which Lieutenant Carey showed remarkable bravery at the bombing school. He has been recommended for a posthumous reward.

(When a bomb had exploded in a trench on November 7, Carey has shielded his colleague from the shrapnel.)

Moonraker

[stoj22]

Another example......

[Moonraker]

During bomb-throwing practice at Tidworth on October 18, 1915 a soldier lit a fuse and discarded the match into 15 lbs of powder. Three men of the 23rd Royal Fusiliers had their eyes damaged, and others suffered discoloured faces; two specialists from Harley Street came to Tidworth to attend to the former.

Moonraker

[Michael Pegum]

Hi,

This is from Captain A C Brett MC journal while with the 3rd Battalion, The Connaught Rangers on 10th Nov 1915 at Kinsale, Cork.

Regards Mark

I had missed this until now. The Fred Lewin who was injured was the brother of the Colonel Lewin promoted to Brigadier at the beginning of the extract.

Captain Brett was mistaken about his passenger: he wasn't dead. Two doctors from Dublin were called, and surgery was carried out on the skull and neck injuries. He was then transferred to a private hospital, where he had two further operations, but he died on 8th December, four weeks after the accident. His funeral, with full military honours, was in Cork and he was buried in the family plot in Kilmaine, Co. Mayo.

Lance-Corporal William Greenwood was injured in the same accident and died next day.

Michael

[Michael Pegum]

Another casualty of bombing practice was Major Lord Desmond Fitzgerald, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. It seems that a group of guardsmen were being trained in throwing bombs near Calais, on 3rd March, 1916, and the battalion Chaplain, Fr. R. J. Lane Fox, asked to have a go! When the Chaplain threw a bomb which exploded prematurely, it fatally wounded Major Fitzgerald, who was standing near-by. Fr. Lane Fox lost an eye and some fingers, as well.

Michael

[sapperwho]

My grandfather Sapper Joseph Metcalfe D/S/5121 of 2nd Field Coy Div Eng Royal Naval Division was injured by a rifle grenade in Bully -les - Mines while undergoing training with the CRE 47th Div.He sustained a severe injury to his right leg and left wrist.His leg was saved by Canadian doctors at the 2nd Stationary Hospital at Outreau 18-6-16

[salientguide]

A famous example occurs in Edmund Blundens book of his service as a young 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment, " Undertones of War" to my mind one of the classics of Great War literature. On first going to France he spent some time at Etaples and was attending a demonstration, by a sergeant instructor of the Hailes rifle grenade. Being a dreamy young poet he was not paying attention, standing at the back, gazing skywards, when he was aware not of an explosion but a loud clang! He found himself on his back, got up to find for some reason this had exploded while still in the instructors rifle, which had almost blown his head off and killed or seriously wounded several others who had clustered closer to watch the demo.

One of many close shaves he was to have, - another being later in the Salient when an enemy shell crashed through the duckboards between him and a soldier..and was a dud and failed to explode!! A charmed life and a charming book.

SG

[stiletto_33853]

On 15/07/2009 at 21:09, Bernard_Lewis said:

Lt Devenish was killed after his arm became entangled with that of the thrower during practice in the field. The grenade fell into the trench and he failed to get around the traverse in time.

In another incident a few moths later live grenades were being lobbed back and fore in practice (pins in) when one exploded and wounded several officers. Not too serious.

Both Swansea Bn incidents.

Bernard

 

Bernard,

Ex S/4973 RB, full transcript of the court of inquiry contained in his papers if they are use to you.

 

Andy

[Ron Clifton]

Although it was an accident during battle rather than in training, IIRC Pte Billy McFadzean of 14/Royal Irish Rifles was killed on 1 July 1916 when he threw himself on a loose grenade. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

 

I also recall reading about a man who threw his tin helmet over a loose grenade and then stood on it. He woke up in hospital with two broken legs to find his whole platoon waiting to shake his hand.

 

Ron

[Ghazala]

This is the spot in Thiepval Wood where Billy McFadzean died after covering a grenade with his body.

[Bernard_Lewis]

A big "thank you" to Andy who has very kindly sent me a copy of the papers he refers to. Good man! Much appreciated.

 

Bernard

[KernelPanic]

Here's an account of another training accident. This one involved D company of the 9th DLI on October 5th, 1915, and would have been in the Armentieres area. The page is from Everard Wyrall's book "The History of the 50th Division, 1914-1919". 

 

[stiletto_33853]

Another one for you, 2nd Lt. John Simmons, ex 7918 3rd RB, commissioned into 3rd RB

Andy

 

[tootrock]

Frederick Youens, VC, was mortally wounded in July 1917, while throwing back German grenades that had landed in the trench.

Martin

[stiletto_33853]

As Joris mentioned in post 17, it is worth going through the Albert Medal citations. There are a considerable amount of awards given for similar accidents.

 

Andy