Grenade Boxes

Lynn Eades · #1 22-02-11, 09:43

Kevin posted some pics of the trays he had made, but the are a bit hard to locate in a search, so I thought i'd put up some pictures to show the variations. The new one I had made, but is not the same, the ends are rounded on the original. The last picture show two different bolt patterns (for different mounting positions, the last one has no holes (NOS?)

kevin powles · #2 22-02-11, 10:08

Hi Lynn, glad your not in that earthquake, your parcels on its way. I am having three more of those grenade box inserts made as the insert in the box next to the driver does not feature that large central hole as on the other two, I am guessing that the hole perhaps held and arming tool of some kind, but am open to suggestions, here's some more pics.

The packing piece is held in place with four no5 3/4" steel countersunk screws, the lid wood piece is held with two No5 1/4" round head steel screws, There is a piece of wood about 1/4" thick behind each box and carrier armour or the ammo bin in the case of the drivers grenade box (four 1/4" bsf set screws 3/4" long hold this box in position). The strap on top is 1" utility strap doubled over and sewn at the sides.

kev.

Lynn Eades · #3 22-02-11, 10:26

The straps are not all doubled over. Some are just a standard strap with the brass end riveted on.
Isn't this internet amazing in that we can do this (move info so quickly) from opposite sides of the world.
Are you saying that there is a peice of wood between the box, and the bulkhead?
I didnt know about the hole, and wondered if you'd made a mistake, when I saw your photos.
I think there used to be a 4 second, and a 7 second fuze for grenades. Would they have "fuzed" them in the carrier? I would think not. No idea really.
Who knows?

rob love · #4 22-02-11, 12:14

Kevin
As promised, I brought in my grenade box and measured up the felt on the top lid. It is 200 mm thick. You were right about the wood behind it, I had forgotten. The wood and felt are held in place by the two small screws through the lid. I don't see any signs of glue between the felt and the wood.

Lynn
The Canadian carriers had wood in between pretty much all of the storage bins and the hull including the grenade boxes. I am not sure if it was meant as an anti-squeak or as a spacer to account for the various rivets that might otherwise get in the way of mounting the box flush onto the hull.

Here are some shots of my front grenade bin.

Ralph Volkert · #5 22-02-11, 15:53

How thick is the wood?

kevin powles · #6 22-02-11, 16:06

Robe, That felt pad on the lid, the carrier parts book only lists those two screws as 1/4 long, enough only to secure the wood in place, if there is no glue perhaps there is some of those split rivets there as seen on other boxs?.

Lance-Corporal George Gagnon, 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.), aboard a Landing Ship Tank fusing hand grenades to be used on D-Day. Southampton, England, 4 June 1944. His cap badge says another regiment.

Jordan Baker · #7 22-02-11, 16:24

I beleive that central hole on the bottom of the bin was only intended to be on the R.S. bin. The wireless installation instructions show that a hole needs to be drilled there so that a cable clip can be bolted underneath.

As for attaching the felt to the wood in the lid, I used the split rivets as shown. I did the head of the rivet in the felt and pushed the legs through the plywood. The two of them held the felt on very well.

Lynn Eades · #8 22-02-11, 18:57

My photo shows two thickness of felt. The screws would be 1/4 inch. They are countersunk screws.

kevin powles · #9 22-02-11, 19:00

Hi, just re-checked the drivers grenade box fixing bolt length and they are quoted as 7/16" long, so i think that perhaps there was not any wood packing between the grenade box and the ammo bin. the other two boxs have 3/4" long bolts which would make the wood packing between 4 and 6mm thick, from offering up the box and wood.

There seems to be no part number difference for the left or right grenade packing tray for the rear two boxs, shaun has an unopened grenade box rusted shut, so hope to have a look at it next time i am there this would prove jordans thoughts if there is no hole in that sides packing tray.

kev.

rob love · #10 23-02-11, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin powles

Robe, That felt pad on the lid, the carrier parts book only lists those two screws as 1/4 long, enough only to secure the wood in place, if there is no glue perhaps there is some of those split rivets there as seen on other boxs?.

No rivets...just the plywood, the felt, and two screws going through the plywood and into the felt. The screws on this box are round head, and would appear to be original. The wood is just under 6mm thick, so it would have been 1/4 inch in regular talk.

If I were a betting man I would say it was glued at one time, but 70 years and insects have removed any trace of it.

kevin powles · #11 13-04-11, 21:54

I can confirm after stripping out an original drivers Mk1 stowage bin and detaching a rusted out drivers grenade box, there is no wood packing between the bin and the box, also the four fixing bolts, the top two bolt heads go in from the grenade box side and the bottom fixing bolt heads go in from the ammo bin side.

kev.

shaun · #12 13-04-11, 22:43

so you have started stripping out the new toy then Kevin ! When are you going to start a thread for it and post some photos

RichardT10829 · #13 13-04-11, 22:44

you not been roped in yet Shaun.... looks like I am going to be a busy bee this coming easter hahahahaha

kevin powles · #14 13-04-11, 23:51

Shaun, My misses has the camera, my brother has took alot of pics of some interesting areas yesterday and today, I have the pick up truck loaded with all the mortar carriers suspension and parts off the new one including your trailing arms to get them blasted. will take them over tomorrow. I need to get it stripped and in zinc primer to preserve it as soon as possible. I will get the mortar carrier running before rebuilding this one. On monday I finished the missing conduit on the Tank hunter, rewired the main starting cables and put on a new starter motor and changed out the drivers side fuel tank and put in the rear convoy bracket and light. I will start stripping the new carrier out tomorrow, every nut will need grinding off, I have alot of missing bits on order from Brian and Stuff ordered from John at Midwest.

Kev.

maple_leaf_eh · #15 13-04-11, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin powles

...
Lance-Corporal George Gagnon, 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.), aboard a Landing Ship Tank fusing hand grenades to be used on D-Day. Southampton, England, 4 June 1944. His cap badge says another regiment.

At a glance it is two crossed Vickers MGs. From my experience, that would be the badge of the Regt de la Chaudiere. It exists today; other regiments\ badges might have the same heraldic device, but I don't know.

Lynn Eades · #16 14-04-11, 00:00

Bloody f)#$@* thread jackers!!!

.........

By the way Kevin, the split rivets are called "bifucated" rivets from memory.