Item 03: John Duncan McRae diary, 10 February-6 May 1917 - Page 69

[Page 69]

rifle or cannon cartridges it would burst the barrel when fired. The force of a detonator is almost incomprehensible. For instance, the detonator in a grenade which fires the explosive is very small & thin but nevertheless it alone has enough power to burst the bomb. Or again, in a fuse made with detonating material the charge travels at the rate of 6500 yards per second. No wonder that war now-a-days is a little hell!

You will now not be surprised that we have great confidence in the bombs which we are to use on the other side of the Channel.

Alan & I had a game of billiards in the evening.

April 19

We completed our course to-day by throwing two live bombs each. We were also shown a number