The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918 — John Shaqi
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
History
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918
Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
Great Britain. Army. Division, 51st (Highland); World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
The enemy, on the other hand, appears to have had an unlimited supply of
ammunition for mortars of a considerably heavier calibre and longer
range than ours. At this time his commonest types were those that
discharged the "oil can" or "rum jar" and the aerial torpedo. The "oil
can" was little more than a tin canister about nine inches in diameter,
filled with high explosive, and fitted with a time fuze. In those days
it was fired from a smooth-bored wooden mortar, and in consequence
turned over and over in its flight, and was therefore not particularly
accurate. The explosion was, however, terrific, devastating to wire or
trenches, and most trying to the nerves of any one who had to live in an
area in which they habitually burst.
The aerial torpedoes had a fixed propeller which kept them from turning
over in the air, and were in consequence a more accurate projectile.
Their effects were if anything worse than those of the "oil can."
The Division had attached to it one 1-1/2-inch mortar battery and a
4-inch mortar battery for which ammunition was available only in small
quantities. On 2nd September, a 2-inch trench-mortar battery arrived,
though its ammunition did not join it till 7th October.
The 2-inch trench-mortar fired a bomb exactly similar in shape to the
hammer used in Highland games in "throwing the hammer." For this reason
it was known to the troops as "Donald Dinnie." It was also known as the
"Plum Pudding" or "Football." It was on this account that an English
brigade-major was once heard to confess that he had always thought
"Donald Dinnie" was Scots for plum pudding.
The "Donald Dinnie" was an excellent projectile when it burst in the
right place. Sometimes, however, it did not burst at all, while at
others it burst within a few feet of the mortar. Again, the mortar
frequently misfired. Trench-mortaring was rather a game of chance in
those days, with the odds slightly against the man firing the mortar.
In the early days of the "Donald Dinnie" its long iron handle, with a
diameter of two inches, was firmly fixed to the bomb. On occasions this
handle was blown tremendous distances by the explosion, and more than
once fell in the British trenches, causing casualties to the garrison.
There was thus no adequate weapon with which to counter the German
trench-mortars. He was therefore able to do considerable damage to our
trenches and troops, more or less, with impunity.
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