Grenade Fuse-Pull worn on Boots

[Jos L C]

Nice pilot !

Yes, I would restore a pull cap, why not ?

Jos.

[RamJet]

Thanks, Jos.

I just go over one of the pull caps with steel wool to remove all rust completely.

[Jos L C]

.. and then paint it red color ..

Again, here are von Werra and another fighterpilot and I think I saw another pic, all wearing red pull caps, add up the story I read somewhere about the 1 sec igniter..

The red cap is 1 sec, blue is 4.5, yellow is 7.5 and field-gray is 10 seconds .., I'm pretty sure the fighters were wearing the red caps for a reason.

Jos.

[David Fettes]

I would like to think they wore the red fuse caps because.......... they were as devastating and deadly as a one second fused grenade.

[Jos L C]

I would like to think they wore the red fuse caps because.......... they were as devastating and deadly as a one second fused grenade.

Yes, it was something like that .., I wish I could find back the text , but I really can't recall where I saw it.

Jos.

[Gene]

I would think they chose red because it is a more noticeable color than blue or yellow

[John Hodgin]

I would think they chose red because it is a more noticeable color than blue or yellow

Agree Gene, always thought this was the reason.

Emergency handles and controls in aircraft have always been red. So it makes sense that this was continued on zipper pulls which, when needed in a hurry as in a water landing or jump, are a matter of life or death. Tradition or not.

Willi can ask his father if he used or remembers these, and can add to what Ramjet's friend Fritz remembers.

[RamJet]

That reminds me that I planned to make an interview with Fritz Koal for the newspaper I work for. First he had no time, then I had no time, and then I forgot ...

Thanks, John.

[RamJet]

I would think they chose red because it is a more noticeable color than blue or yellow

By the way, the guy in post 20 has a two-color fuse pull cap attached to his zipper.

[Jos L C]

Yes, some pull caps only have the upper part painted red, others are completely red, same with the blue, yellow..

Jos.

[RamJet]

Do You know what exactly is the other color when only the upper half is red? I am no specialist in fuze pull caps.

[Jos L C]

It's bare grey metal or a field gray color ..

Here's a yellow one, no red caps on hand grenades .., except those used for booby traps ..
I've read in Russia they changed blue igniters into red or even put the blue cap back on and then left grenades in places, hoping the Russian would find them and use them against the German ..

Jos.

[Jos L C]

Here's a half and complete blue one ..

Jos.

[RamJet]

Thanks to Jos, I was able to add another improvement. As it is nearly impossible to get a genuine flare leg band, I added a flare band to his belt:







What was especially practical as I own only five cartridges ...

All guns and ammo are deactivated, of course.

[AndyC]

Ramjet you have a nice Pilot there


Andy