MILLS BOMBS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1932, Page 6

MILLS BOMBS

DEATH OF THE INVENTOR

LOST MONEY ON INVENTIONS

LONDON, Jan 14. Sir William Mills, says a London Correspondent the inventor of the famous Mills bomb, of which no fewer than 76,000,000 were used on various fronts during the war, died suddenly at Weston-super-Mare on January 7 at the age of 76. Sir William was the proprietor of Mills Munitions Ltd., Birmingham, and was a member of the council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

it was in February, 1915, that he introduced his bomb, which was soon being sent out in millions to our troops and to our Allies. He afterwards prepared an instructional film and lectured on the use of the bomb. In recognition of the invention Sir William was .awarded £37,000 by the Government. About three years ago he unsuccessfully appealed against a decision that £SOOO was payable as income tax on this sum. Afterwards, he said that far from making a fortune out of the bomb be actually lost £30,000. He estimated that had lie been paid the ordinary commercial royalty on the number of bombs made he would have received more than £20,000. Sir William also stated that, although he was the inventor of the bomb, hisTLrm,,,, Mills, .Munitions,, LtcL, was given, orders for only 4,000,000 out of the vast number made. Writing once of his work, Sir William said:— “I am very gratified to know that this bomb, brought luck, at some time or other, to almost every Allied soldier who served in the line, and mait y hundreds have told me personally or written to say that they owe their life to the bomb. “Lord French wrote that the hand grenades was as invaluable an arm as the rifle. The Germans had a holy horror of it. I am told by numerous officers and men that in 1916-17 the situation in France was saved by it.” Sir William was born in April, 1850, the son of a Sunderland shipbuilder, and began his'career at sea as a marine engineer and in the work of repairing telegraph cables.

When ho settled ashore ho established the. first aluminium factory in this country, and did much research work in connection with alloys.

His inventions include new patterns of golf clubs, a telescopic seat, and the Mills boat disengaging gear, which is largely used in the navy and the mercantile marine.

Sir William was knighted in 1922. La.dv Mills, whom lie married in 1891, died in 1930.