possible ww1 grenade parts ?

[Guest bainsey]

Hello everyone my name is Andy Baines and I'm new here. I stumbled upon this forum by chance when researching some things I found.

My hobby is metal detecting and as such I come across a few ordinance related bits and pieces.

A new field I have got permission for is throwing up a lot of grenade parts and also coins which date to before and around the time of ww1.

I record my metal detecting to upload to YouTube so if any of you have any interest in seeing the parts I have found I will put the link below.

Any confirmation of any of the parts being from ww1 ordinance would be very much welcome.

Thanks for having me in this great forum

https://youtu.be/72O6PMqUzF4

[trenchtrotter]

They are from grenades. No 5 Mark1. Base plugs internal springs from plunger etc.was the field near a known camp?

TT

Also known as Mills Bomb

[Andrew Upton]

Any confirmation of any of the parts being from ww1 ordinance would be very much welcome.

Well, you certainly have a few WW1 Mills bomb parts in there, damaged base plugs and similar - have a look at Google images linked below, should be able to spot and identify the various bits:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mk5+mills+grenade&biw=1323&bih=761&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Ing6VYjWM87kaP2XgeAG&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A new field I have got permission for is throwing up a lot of grenade parts and also coins which date to before and around the time of ww1.

Here is a WW1 No.36 Mills Grenade ( Mills Bomb ) from my grenade collection, taken apart to show the various components, which were pretty standard to the various models of WW1 Mills Grenades.

Regards,

LF

[Guest bainsey]

Hi all, thanks for the replies. As far as I know and have been able to research there was no camp near the field which is really strange. There has been no bullets or cartridges except for shotgun and no other ordinance just loads of these grenade bits and pieces. I will carry on searching this field and see what else it throws up, I would hope for some badges or buttons but so far no luck.

Andy

[auchonvillerssomme]

There also seems to be part of a driving band from a shell amongst the finds but the vid cut out at the wrong moment.

[MikeyH]

Yes, a piece of copper drive band from a shell, possibly 18 pounder, can be seen around 5mins 10 secs.

Mike.

[ServiceRumDiluted]

The bit at 4.15 is the top of a Hales rifle grenade.

[sgt-maj]

Bainsey...... as you mention that from what your research so far has shown, is that there was no known camp nearby. What you could have stumbled upon, due to there being mostly grenade parts..... is a grenade practice range, commonly referred to in military terms as a 'Meg Range'. The coin finds you mention, especially due to the dates found, would point to its WW1 use.... possibly for around the build up to the Somme. Many military barracks were raised overnight so-to-speak, but then disappeared just as quickly. So local memory may not remember them so readily as they may have recalled a more long standing military presence.