filled with cold porridge confirmed that this was the way to go. The grenade needed a delay for the thrower to get clear, so the woollen sock was covered in a sticky substance ensuring that the bomb stayed in place for a few seconds before detonating. Having covered the bomb in glue, a non-sticky handle was required. In the handle, a delay fuse was ignited by releasing a sprung lever so that a five second time delay started as the grenade left the thrower's hand (just like the levers found on a conventional Mills bomb type hand grenade). Macrae's tin of birdlime was labelled with a large letter K and an indication that tin came from Stockport but with no more clues as to the manufacturer. Macrae got on a train to Stockport and there found a taxi driver who took him to Kay Brothers Ltd. The company's chief chemist was soon working on the problem of a suitable adhesive and within a matter of weeks the problem was solved to Macrae's satisfaction. The filling for the bomb was developed by ICI. It was nitroglycerin-based with a variety of additives to make it more stable and viscous. The glass flask containing the main charge held about of this explosive that was described as having the consistency of Vaseline. The adhesive surface was protected by a light metal case which was released by pulling a safety pin: the case fell away as two hemispheres connected by a sprung hinge. The inside of the case was fitted with a number of rubber spikes that kept it clear of the glued surface of the grenade. Early models also had a strip of adhesive tape round the neck of the casing. Development continued, but there were problems with service regulations that were not written with such an unconventional weapon in mind. The sticky bomb was inevitably rather fragile and even a specially designed box could not fully meet the army's demanding requirements for withstanding rough handling without damage. It seemed there were problems at every turn. The prime minister, Winston Churchill, who was concerned with the state of the country's anti-tank defences, learnt about the grenade and urged its development. The Ordnance Board of the War Office did not approve the grenade to be used by the army. However, Churchill ordered further tests to be conducted in July, and after personally viewing a demonstration