(c) =Powder Puffs=: A powder puff is representative of a hair brush bomb and consists of a piece of wood 1” x 5” x 17”, 7” at one end being left full size, the remainder being cut away on each edge to form a handle. On the broad part of this is placed another piece of wood 2” x 4” x 6” with a hole 1-3/8” in diameter bored through the centre. This piece of 2” x 4” is attached by wire nails to the 1” x 5”; the centre space is filled with gunpowder and covered with a small piece of 1-inch board, the fuse being inserted through a 3/8-inch hole, which is bored through the 1” x 5”. The explosive used in the hair brush, which this dummy represents is a slab of wet gun-cotton, 1-3/4” x 3” x 6” with a 1-3/8” cone-shaped hole in the centre to receive a dry gun-cotton primer which has a 3/8” hole in its centre to receive the detonator, which in turn receives the fuse. The weight of slab 15 ounces; the weight of primer 1 ounce.
(d) A piece of 2” x 2” wood, 17” long, one end shaped for a handle, the other end made partially round, a 1-3/4” gas pipe union being put over the handle end and driven tightly on to the large end of the stick. A groove is cut around the stick about 8” from the handle end, to which is wired three pieces of cotton about 1-1/2” x 24” long. These act as streamers and tend to keep the business end of the bomb forward in its flight.
=Note=: The idea of the explosive being used in the dummy bombs is to accustom the men to handling explosives, the lighting of fuses and gauging of the time required per inch for a service fuse to burn, at the same time not sacrificing distance and accuracy in throwing. It has been noticed that men in their eagerness to get rid of the live bomb lose sight of the main object for which they are being trained, namely, accuracy and range.
=Throwing Position.= The correct position for throwing is as follows:--Spread the feet slightly and brace them firmly on the ground, the shoulder opposite the throwing hand being in the direction to which you are throwing. Bring the other hand containing the bomb upwards with a straight arm and circular motion, releasing the bomb when the hand is above the head. It is impossible in a narrow trench to move from a standing position when throwing. The men in throwing practices should therefore be made to maintain a standing position.