I've been up to Malvern again this weekend and found no less than two "holy grails".

The small pre war BSA adjustable is quite adorable, not very cheap but much more reasonable than the few I have seen before.

The two circular brass items are base plugs from WW1 Mills grenades, The Calthorpe I bought at the W&P show years ago, A dealer from Belgium came up with the James this weekend after nearly two years of asking, as far as I know these are the only two Motorcycle firms that made them but I would love to be proved wrong and find a BSA Rob

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email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

I like the adjustable!...

The Germans must have been interested to know they had been blown up by a Calthorpe or James mills grenade... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

BSA certainly made Mills Bombs, up until the 1970s. They called them 'Starfires', I believe.

My Mills ashtray is a No.36 so no nice brass plug.

['They called them 'Starfires', I believe..']...


Any version of the A65 as well... ..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Has anyone got a spare base plug for a WW1 Mills grenade? I've got one without a base plug
Dave

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

Talking of Motorcycle/grenade base makers, I've got James and Calthorpe ones like yours and I also have a Burman one stamped Burman and Sons. I did some research on this a few years back and found that Bowden Wires made them, stamped BW Ltd. There are two James ones, stamped either James Cycle or JCCo. There are three different stamps for Calthorpe being Calthorpe, Calthorpe Motors Co and CM Co. There was also Morris Motors Ltd stamped MM Ltd and Minerva Motors Ltd stamped MML Ltd. There were also bases made by C.A. Vandervell and Co stamped with their well know initials C.A.V. A little off track there were grenade bases stamped Q which were made by Qualcast.

Hi Bill

Thanks for that, I will try and find a Burman, I bought an "MM" thinking it could be Morris but this website says it stands for Mills Munitions?

Rob

http://www.millsgrenades.co.uk/images/No5%20Base%20plugs/real.htm

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Here you go Rob, just spotted a Burman made Mills base on ebay. Number 181710139272

Thanks Bill, I will watch that one, but they are often only a fiver at the W&P show.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk