Beltanedeath Posted 3 September , 2019 Share Posted 3 September , 2019 Would I be correct in assuming (the brass baseplate at least) would mean manufacturing year of November 1915? sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peregrinvs Posted 3 September , 2019 Share Posted 3 September , 2019 Yes. 'Month / Year' is the normal date marking for such things. You might find the following page of interest: http://www.millsgrenades.co.uk/No5 Base Plugs2.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 3 September , 2019 Share Posted 3 September , 2019 Yes 11/1915 is the date. You may notice the Patent numbers. Patent 3559/15 was not completed. So probably should not have been on the base plug at that time, but probably thousands had been made and impressed, so they were used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beltanedeath Posted 3 September , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2019 Thanks for both of those replies. how likely is that the body of the bomb is a similar age to the base cap? Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 4 September , 2019 Share Posted 4 September , 2019 50/50 really. Over the years the original base plugs often get lost and replacements are found. With the No 5 or No 23 your have to be sure of the provenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 4 September , 2019 Share Posted 4 September , 2019 Maybe a funny question, but why four different patents Numbers on ONE item?? M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 4 September , 2019 Share Posted 4 September , 2019 Victorian and Edwardian engineers lived and died by their patents. Mills had a variety for a range of things. Adding the related patents would have been natural for William Mills. Patent 2111 covered the basic Mills design of the grenade and the igniter set Patent 2468 was a refinement of 2111. Patent 7636 saw improvements in the description of the lever and describes how the grenades can be used in spring guns and other throwing devices. There is repetition in the three patents. Mills also filed Patent 7301 for Grenade with a clockwork fuze. Also Patent 7872 for larger grenades to be dropped from aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy A Posted 5 September , 2019 Share Posted 5 September , 2019 (edited) I can guarantee 100% that this Mills body and base plug go together and that they were both made by Mills munitions as they were the only company making these grenades in May 1915. Andy Edited 5 September , 2019 by Andy A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 1 June , 2020 Share Posted 1 June , 2020 very nice centre cast, I've got a No5 made of aluminium, picked it up many years ago. casing is made of aluminium with brass filler, steel lever and spring with striker, centre tube and base plug are alloy. will try and post some photos of it (new to this forum, so still feeling my way round). there are no markings on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 1 June , 2020 Share Posted 1 June , 2020 Look forward to seeing it. Mills himself made some aluminium bodied No 5s which were filled with various types of shrapnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 1 June , 2020 Share Posted 1 June , 2020 photo of aluminium mills, will try to post more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 1 June , 2020 Share Posted 1 June , 2020 some more photos of aluminium mills, would love to no more about this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 2 June , 2020 Share Posted 2 June , 2020 Excellent. What's on the base plug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 2 June , 2020 Share Posted 2 June , 2020 three more photos, the base plug is made of a more heavy alloy, no markings on the mills anywhere, although there is the remains of a paper label that was glued with an old type gum on the rear, i think there was writing on the label, but it has long since faded away. will post photo shortly. incidentally the casing has the same profile as a centre cast, the striker is slotted. everything is exactly how it was when i came across it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 2 June , 2020 Share Posted 2 June , 2020 photos of the label, hope that helps. many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 2 June , 2020 Share Posted 2 June , 2020 Very nice. Probably made by Mills Munitions, either as a an experimental model or a presentation model. The base plug is unusual though Mills made one similar in late 1915 with a bar across the middle. A very good find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLUM PUDDING Posted 3 June , 2020 Share Posted 3 June , 2020 thanks for that, at least i know a bit more about it now. i was going to remove the old label and polish it up, but decided to leave it as i found it. i tried my own research on it but just ran into brick walls. documentation seems scarce, but then I'm no research expert. thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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