Lancashire Fusilier Posted 21 February , 2016 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2016 Hi Guys, Im making a Mills bomb box which I painted mid grey colour and stencilled in black letters. I posted a photo to my FB page and was howled down that it was completely wrong, I was told that they were never grey unless re-issued and that they were a washed out walnut colour or unpainted except for the stencils. I was told that what is reproduced today is complete fantasy. I got my plans from Tommy Packfillers, any ideas for a confused Aussie. I would post photos but I cant see how to do it. Cheers Medic, Enter ' Storage ' in this Thread's ' search box ' top right of page, and that search will bring up photographs and information on both original and reproduction Mills Grenade storage boxes. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic Posted 21 February , 2016 Share Posted 21 February , 2016 Thanks LF ill have a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Haselgrove Posted 22 February , 2016 Share Posted 22 February , 2016 Medic, The requirements in respect of boxes appear to have been governed by Grenade, Hand, No. 5 Marks I and II - Specification to govern Method of Filling. According to the photocopy I have the specifications were approved on the 25th August 1915 and my photocopy has a stamp for the Director of Inspection dated 25 May 1917. Anyway, paragraph 7 deals with packing and I attach a copy - hope you can read it - together with a copy of a photo of a filled box which may assist although it doesn't show the external markings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 5 March , 2016 Share Posted 5 March , 2016 New additions. A pair of offensive German Turtle / Discus grenades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 5 March , 2016 Share Posted 5 March , 2016 A couple more pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogilwy Posted 7 March , 2016 Share Posted 7 March , 2016 Medic, The requirements in respect of boxes appear to have been governed by Grenade, Hand, No. 5 Marks I and II - Specification to govern Method of Filling. According to the photocopy I have the specifications were approved on the 25th August 1915 and my photocopy has a stamp for the Director of Inspection dated 25 May 1917. Anyway, paragraph 7 deals with packing and I attach a copy - hope you can read it - together with a copy of a photo of a filled box which may assist although it doesn't show the external markings. Michael, I may be wrong, (it does happen!) but are those grenades in the picture not No36's. The Ballistite Cartridges and Discs for use with the discharger cup I thought were No36 not No5. Nice to see an early base plug key for a change. I have all the technical documents including the OB Proc's at work, unfortunately the OB's are bound but with no index. This means finding a specific one takes forever looking through hundreds until the right one is found! Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Haselgrove Posted 7 March , 2016 Share Posted 7 March , 2016 Hi Rod, Yes, you are correct. The box above contains No.36 Mark I grenades. However, judging from the description of the packing for the No.5 grenades the packing did not change appreciably or at all for the No.36 and indeed the description of the packing above is dated the 25th August 1915 but date stamped with the stamp of the Director of Inspection, Woolwich 25 May 1917. I don't have a date for the photo of the box of grenades but I can just read 1917 on the box of blank cartridges. I have a selection of photocopies of photos of different grenade packing cases; all the photos came from the Pattern Room when it was at Nottingham. Regards, Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogilwy Posted 8 March , 2016 Share Posted 8 March , 2016 Michael, Good old Herb! I still miss his help, I was in Nottingham for 4 Years and spent most of my time when not at work down there with him. I think you're right and the first war boxes I've seen are the same as far as I can remember. I'll have a look at our collection and see if we have one, I'd be shocked if we didn't but over zealous spring cleaning does periodically mean that things disappear! Yours Aye, Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Haselgrove Posted 9 March , 2016 Share Posted 9 March , 2016 Rod, Yes, Herb was a wonderful source of information and greatly missed. Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Brecon Militaria fair today so I took a drive down arriving just as the first stall holder started to pack away, fantastic timing! Here are some of my finds. Battye grenade. 1915. No. 5 Mills bomb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 1914 Kugel grenade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 No. 5 base plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 22 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2016 No. 5 base plug. Nice example dated August 1915 by H & B Ltd ( Howard Bullier ) Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14276265 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Nice example dated August 1915 by H & B Ltd ( Howard Bullier ) Regards, LF Except the base plug is, alas, a modern fake. A genuine September '15 Howard and Bulloughs example is shown below. 265 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 23 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Except the base plug is, alas, a modern fake. A genuine September '15 Howard and Bulloughs example is shown below. Just by looking at GWF 1967's photo, I could not say if your opinion is correct or not, and it is known that base plug makers often made different versions. Here is yet another version of a Howard Bullier No.5 base plug, so now we possibly have 3 versions ? Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14276265 Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Just by looking at GWF 1967's photo, I could not say if your opinion is correct or not, and it is known that base plug makers often made different versions. Here is yet another version of a Howard Bullier No.5 base plug, so now we possibly have 3 versions ? Regards, LF The base plugs shown in the attached photo are all fakes. The plug shown in post 712 is one of this family from the same source - the use of the same letter/number punches, badly applied, is just one giveaway. The base plug shown in post 715 is a good example of a genuine alternative style made by Howard and Bulloughs, but note the website it has come from is in error regarding the maker's name. Howard Bullier is a mythical entity. 265 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 23 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2016 The base plugs shown in the attached photo are all fakes. Many thanks for following up with that interesting information, which I am sure the owner of the base plug will take into account. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 The base plugs shown in the attached photo are all fakes. The plug shown in post 712 is one of this family from the same source - the use of the same letter/number punches, badly applied, is just one giveaway. The base plug shown in post 715 is a good example of a genuine alternative style made by Howard and Bulloughs, but note the website it has come from is in error regarding the maker's name. Howard Bullier is a mythical entity. 265 Thanks for the examples for reference and the information regarding the maker. More than one website has them wrongly listed as Howard and Bullier. I'm not too fussed about the reproduction plug, but I'll keep my eyes open for a replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 4 September , 2016 Share Posted 4 September , 2016 Some new finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 4 September , 2016 Share Posted 4 September , 2016 2 eggs with fuses, 1 with transit plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 4 September , 2016 Share Posted 4 September , 2016 British no.15 Cricket ball, French F1 and a no. 24 rifle grenade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 12 September , 2016 Share Posted 12 September , 2016 On 22/05/2016 at 22:48, GWF1967 said: No. 5 base plug. I have a feeling this is a fake plug too. The Broad arrow is very similar to those on fakes I have in my collection. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 12 September , 2016 Share Posted 12 September , 2016 Here are some more. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 12 September , 2016 Share Posted 12 September , 2016 6 hours ago, Gunner Bailey said: Here are some more. John Thanks John. It's good to have several examples for reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 13 September , 2016 Share Posted 13 September , 2016 These fake plugs appear to have been engraved by a computer controlled engraving machine. The font is the same for many of the 'makers'. Also many are factually wrong. Many of the 1915 'makers' on these plugs did not start till 1916. They are still fooling buyers in France though. There are also 'brass cup' base plug fakes around as well. I got my first one when buying a really nice No 5 at a small militaria fair on the Somme (Ham I think) maybe 10 years ago. The seller was English and when I told him the base plug was fake he said "I bought it over there", pointing at a stall about 10 metres away. Lo and behold there were lots of these 'rare' plugs for sale. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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