British No.36 Training Mills Bomb by J.P.S

~ British No.36 Training Mills Bomb by J.P.S ~

The item commonly called a “Mills Bomb” is the familiar segmented-shell British hand grenade whose silhouette became one of the most iconic ordnance designs of the 20th century. The No.36 training version is a non-explosive, instructional variant made so soldiers could practise handling and throwing without live fuze or explosive filler.

The fuse is marked No.36M, Mk1 TA&S Z 40.

Historical background & development

The original Mills grenade was developed and patented by William (Wilfred) Mills in 1915. Its segmented cast-iron body and internal striker/fuze arrangement made it robust, relatively safe to handle, and easy to manufacture — qualities that led to widespread adoption by British and Commonwealth forces in World War I and afterwards.

Over the decades several numbered service and training variants emerged as the British Army refined fuze, filler and casing designs. Training models (often given separate numbers or suffixes) replicated the external form so troops could practise without exposing them to live explosive hazards.

Production was widely subcontracted to numerous foundries and engineering firms across Britain and the Empire. Manufacturer stamps (like J.P.S.) identify the company that cast or finished that example; such marks help with provenance and dating when cross-referenced with factory records or period catalogues.

 Training grenades were a staple of infantry instruction from the First World War era well into the mid-20th century. They were used in throwing practice, drill on arming/disarming procedures, and for familiarisation with handling and carrying on the battlefield.