British early handgrenade

[Cnock]

Hello

What would be the correct type/name for this British bomb?

regards,

Cnock

[calibre792x57.y]

This is a Battye Bomb named after Captain Basil Battye R.E. 21st Co.Bombay Sappers and MIners who was responsible for producing the bomb at the Army Workshops in Bethune; hence its name 'Battye or Bethune' bomb. This was a rough cast iron cylinder filled with ammonal; or cheddite or black powder and closed with a wooden plug which accepted a length of safety fuze with a detonator at one end and a Nobel's percussion igniter at the other. Most were produced late in 1914 and early in 1915. The French also used them. They were produced in large numbers and used to be quite common finds on 1915 period battlefields. They were never officially adopted and hence were never allocated a type number. SW

[Cnock]

Hi Sommewalker,

thanks, didn't know Bethune en Battye bombs were the same type

regards,

Cnock

[centurion]

Many, possibly most, Battye Bombs were made and used with a simpler fuse that did not involve a percussion device and were lit with a cigarette

http://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/nimages/A0961_ex.jpg

I believe that this represents a typical product from the Bethune bomb factory

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Lit with a cigarette, I love that, how British!!.

[calibre792x57.y]

Alas while I have no doubt that some bombs had a simple piece of safety fuze the references and drawings show Nobel's Igniters fitted and the comments mention how much more reliable these were compared with the No.13 and 14 grenade's igniter set. The picture shown is clearly a restored battlefield pick-up and cannot be relied upon for illumination! The igniters werer prone to being affected by the damp even tho' thickly coated with wax and one might then pull it off and apply one's pipe in the hope that the fuze was still viable, but they were issued as described. - SW