Bomb

This was the standardised British grenade, first ordered in April/May 1915, which replaced improvised jam tin and ‘hairbrush’ bombs which the Army had found necessary when trench warfare set in. The design was inspired by Belgian Capitaine Leon Roland’s grenade. A court case was needed later to settle ownership of the idea. By the end of 1915, 250,000 were leaving the factories every week. War funds asked for 1 guinea to pay for 6 Mills Bombs.

Qualified bombers were expected to land 5 out of 10 in a four foot wide trench 30 yards away. On the 26th -27th July 1916 the bomb fight at Munster Alley on Pozieres Heights lasted twelve and a half hours. Fifteen thousand Mills Bombs were thrown against an equal number of German grenades. Bombers’ fingers became absolutely raw from pinching in the split-pin and drawing out the ring before throwing.