June 12-13, 2019 Edged Weapon, Armor, & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2019
An exceptionally rare and sought-after British grenade is the UK No. 70 MKIII. It was designed at the end of World War II for use in the Mayalan jungle after it was found that the No. 36 grenade frequently could not be thrown out of its own fragmentation radius and that the fixed delay allowed the grenade to roll back toward the user when throwing uphill. This grenade combines the All Ways fuze of the No. 69 with a light cast iron body that had a much lower fragmentation radius. Mks I and II of this grenade were basically development versions, the Mk III was the only version that saw use, primarily in Burma. This grenade is in exceptional condition, with most of the lacquer finish intact and the fuze in great condition. The body is marked GREN 70, MK3, FIC -45. The fuze is marked Fuze 247 MKII, AE 11/44, 29A As noted in the description of several of the Japanese grenades in this sale, the previous owner served in Burma during World War II as an ambulance driver and sent numerous pieces home during the war. It is not known if this was one of those pieces, but noting the condition of the grenade and the owner’s background it is a considered a strong possibility. A very desirable grenade.