Inert World War I British Battye grenade

~ Inert World War I British Battye grenade ~

The piece has some sign of rust. The grenade has a length of 13.7 inches and a diameter of 3.2 inches.

The Battye grenade was used by the British and Commonwealth armies from late 1914. Major B C Battye designed the grenade, and due to his design enabling mass production, it was the utilised extensively in trench warfare in France. The design was uncomplicated: a metal cylinder filled with ammonal explosive and sealed with a wooden plug, initially fitted with a wick fuse and later a more reliable percussion fuse. By the end of 1915 the Battye grenade was completely removed from service due to the number of injuries acquired using the grenades. The more reliable and sophisticatedly designed Mills bomb replaced it.

ref. GS1474BBF