Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is a very interesting original German Luftwaffe 1kg incendiary “Fritz” fire bomb tail section mounted to a wooden display base and accompanied by period-written provenance associating it with the bombing of Coventry Cathedral during the Coventry Blitz. According to the inscriptions on the base, the fragment was associated with the attack of November 14, 1940 and was later found or collected on October 28, 1941 by a man identified as John Wilkenson of 20 Stareton Close, Coventry.

Unloaded or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar devices, which are cut or drilled in an BATF-approved manner so that they cannot be used as ammunition components for destructive devices, are not considered NFA weapons. This example is in total compliance and is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

The fragment itself is the tail section from a small German Luftwaffe incendiary bomb of the 1kg class, the type used in enormous numbers during area bombing raids against British cities. Incendiaries were intended to ignite buildings and create widespread fires, often in conjunction with high-explosive bombs that damaged roofs, roads, utilities, and firefighting infrastructure. The tail assembly retains some of its original paint with heavy oxidation spotting across. The top of the wooden base is stamped:

COVENTRY CATHEDRAL
14TH NOVEMBER
1940

The bottom of the wooden base is inscribed:

John Wilkenson
28/10/41
20 Stareton Cls.
Coventry

Wilkenson is likely the man who found the piece, and the address is likely his address, as the top states that the tail section was from a round fired at the Cathedral on November 14th. The piece measures 5 ½” tall with a 4 ¼ x 4 ¾” base.

The combination of a German incendiary bomb component, explicit Coventry Cathedral / 14th November 1940 inscription, later October 28, 1941 recovery or ownership notation, and named Coventry address makes this a particularly evocative Home Front relic. Although the exact circumstances of its recovery cannot now be independently confirmed, the surviving written provenance provides a strong period association with one of the most significant Luftwaffe raids on Britain during WWII.

Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.

All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).