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however, before
B.H.Q. had an establishment of officers each of whom was given
a special job, at any rate, on paper. I was appointed "Bombing
Officer". I'm afraid I was not a very suitable man for
the position, for apart from having handled a few grenades
(Mills 36) in the last war my knowledge of bombs was precisely
nil. However, I consoled myself that no-one else knew anything
about them either. And as we did not appear to be getting
any I just sat back and filled in a few Ammunition Returns
and helped generally with anything that was needed. The day
was not far distant when a box of twelve Mills 36 grenades,
complete with detonators arrived. I put these carefully away
in the cellar and did my best to forget about them. This I
was not allowed to do, for very soon afterwards dozens of
similar boxes were stacked in the hall of B.H.Q. and, obviously,
something had to be done about them. I therefore proceeded
to read all I could about bombs, grenades and H.E., and attended
a Course with the 307th Holding Battalion. I also spent a
very interesting week at Altcar Weapons Training School. Theoretically
I was now well equipped to deal with my job.
One or two key men were selected from each Company to attend
B.H.Q. once a week for instruction. These men, when proficient,
were to train a nucleus in their Company in the throwing
and theory of he Mills grenade. When this had been completed
they were to return with their men to B.H.Q. for practice
in live grenade
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throwing. I had
selected a site on Gretton's Farm on the left-hand side of
Stillwell Lane.
There were a few "marl" pits here, and one of
these served the purpose of a bombing range, for at the
top of it was a piece of flat ground about 15 yards wide
and then a drop of about 5 feet. The slope acted as a barricade
to protect the throwers from splinters from the grenade
which was thrown over the 15 yards of level land into the
marl pit. Capt. Morris and I proceeded to our very rough
and ready bombing range one Saturday morning to test some
grenades. I was not at all happy about this, for I was rather
worried as to what would happen if one of them did not explode.
There were no demolition sets in those days and the live
grenade could not have been left in the pit. It would also
have been dangerous to disturb it. My fears, however, were
unfounded for all the grenades did exactly what was required
of them. Training in grenade throwing went on continuously
for many months. In this way some hundreds of men passed
through my hands and, although I never questioned any of
them, I often wondered what was their reaction to the throwing
of their first grenade. The average Britisher rather prides
himself on showing no emotion whatever during a new experience,
but I cannot help thinking that most of them, when they
approached the throwing bay with the live grenades in their
hands, must have been a little apprehensive as to what was
going to happen. This feeling, if it were ever there at
all, wore off rapidly after the initial throw and no doubt
many of them would, when in action,
(......continues.....)
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