Fragment of a Hand Grenade

Fragment from the top of a hand grenade, a small bomb which is thrown by hand. It was collected as a souvenir from a French battlefield, and donated to Dumfries Museum in 1973.   People treasured a variety of objects which they found on the battlefield, bought or traded for. These could be mementoes of places or personal experiences, enemy weapons and equipment kept as trophies, or objects handmade or decorated to pass the time. Smaller items of military uniform, especially badges and hats, were also kept as souvenirs.   These, and the stories they related to, were often handed on to family members. Mass produced objects were often personalised, with names and place names written by hand, later adding to the personal value of these objects for families.