No.13 Battye Hand Grenade

[findabetterole]

Hello All,

For my WW1 reenactment / living history group, I'm in the process of producing a number of : No.13 - BATTYE Hand Grenades, of which I've included a pic. Because they are wooden, and are intended to be thrown, I've rounded off the edges.

Does anyone have information on the type of transit box that would have been used.... a pic or two would be ideal... and how many were to each box? Also, any idea of the box dimensions and markings would be most gratefully appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Seph

[michaeldr]

BATTYE GRENADE

Type. Time.

Weight. One lb. 2 oz. complete.

Explosive. Ammonal guncotton, 1½ oz.

Safety Device. Safety pin in Nobel lighter.

Body. Cast-iron cylinder, 3X2 in. diameter, one end Solid

Igniter. Nobel lighter, 1 ¾-in. fuse, No. 8 M.K. VII detonator.

To prepare for use. See Grenade Hand No. 8.

To fire. See Grenade Hand No. 8.

Packing. Grenades packed thirty in wooden box arranged with removable wooden partitions which rest on top of the grenades, to prevent lid coming in contact with the end of the igniters.

Not sure if this is the No.13 which you are interested in, but the description comes from

http://www.archive.org/details/handgrenadeshand00ainsrich

where there is also a sketch + cut-away, but nothing of the box

regards

Michael

[Krithia]

Because they are wooden, and are intended to be thrown, I've rounded off the edges.

Is this Health & Safety gone mad, designed to protect those hit from sharp edges?

[centurion]

Is this Health & Safety gone mad, designed to protect those hit from sharp edges?

A little known fact is that the toffee apple mortar round was originally a cube (for ease of manufacture and storage) but was changed to spherical in case someone got hit by an unexploded one and received an injury from one of the corners!

[findabetterole]

Is this Health & Safety gone mad, designed to protect those hit from sharp edges?

Krithia..... with your comment, your on the right track. You would not believe the idiocy that goes on out here in California, so we have to take every eventuality into account.. within reason... just to be on the safe side! Also, rounding off the edges serves another purpose; in that being wooden and getting thrown about, they will bounce off an individual without much harm [to the grenade or individual]. The grenades themselves also will last longer, as opposed to them being metal and gougeing a hole in someones noggin.

Michael... Thank you....that PDF file is very helpfull, and has given me a few more ideas on future projects.

The information on the transit crate and its markings are looking to be the hardest to aquire. Any lead on these would be appreciated.

Seph

[RobL]

Seph - a friend of mine in the UK does replicas, I believe he is able to post to the USA, do you want his e-mail address?

Cheers, Rob

[findabetterole]

Seph - a friend of mine in the UK does replicas, I believe he is able to post to the USA, do you want his e-mail address?

Cheers, Rob

Rob.. Thank you.. yes please!

The making of the items isn't really the problem, for I'm skilled enough to carry out that task. Its the information on the transit crate and any known markings for it that are causing the hassle. I'm making up a set as per period correct for our living history events.. so, no rounded edges to those! As I mentioned in my earlier post, we do have to be very careful out here, especially if throwing items... even if we sign a waiver. It only takes one individual to complain to the wrong people, and the whole organisation is scuppered!

Seph

[calibre792x57.y]

The Battye (or Bethune) bomb was not in the numbered series. It was a local design produced by First Army Workshops at Bethune from November, December 1914 and was made in large numbers and used by the French and British. I should imagine that some readily available box such as the 1,000 round box for the 0.303 cartridges was modified and used. The Number 13 was a different (and much rarer) grenade.