Pattern 1913 quiz

[Roger Payne]

Here's one for you then Jim. A selection of ground dug stuff. Before anyone panics the rust & dirt encrusted No5 grenade is empty.....!

Anyone notice anything slightly unusual about the other No5 grenade?

The three launcher/lever retainers are the Adams type, named after Captain Adams of the RE depot at St Omer where he developed them. All three are ground dug but the one in which the original maker's marks are visible was obviously retrieved & cleaned up a long time ago. The one that differs slightly in shape to the other two is a two piece riveted together early pattern. I've never seen any reference to this variation, but the example shown came out of Bernafay Wood on the Somme about twenty years ago.

In case anyone else has more than a passing interest in British & Dominion WW1 era grenades, the two books shown are fairly new out - written since Covid by the author who is very well informed & a thoroughly decent chap.

And the odd No5 grenade.................? If you look carefully you can see a casting join around the two halves of the grenade......but in this case the join runs horizontally around the waist of the grenade, NOT vertically, as is generally seen. Early on in production both methods of casting were used, but the 'horizontal' join soon went in favour of the vertical pattern. It was found there was less wastage using left & right halves rather than top & bottom halves.