"I beg with great deference to raise a question of privilege. The word and title Grenadier is now seen in all official documents to denote a man who throws a bomb. This title was given to the First Guards for service rendered at Waterloo, and they are naturally jealous of the honour."
"In conversation the word bomber is general, but if this is not sufficiently dignified for official documents I most respectfully suggest that 'bomb thrower' be the recognised title."
To this the Adjutant-General at General Headquarters in France sent the following reply:
"The term bomb is officially confined to projectiles fired from trench mortars or dropped from aeroplanes. Projectiles thrown by hand are 'grenades.'
"The G.O.C. Guards Division is in error in supposing that the Grenadier Guards are the only Regiment in which the word grenadier forms part of the title of the Regiment.
"It would appear that the term Grenadiers is merely an unofficial abbreviation of Grenadier Guards, and does not appear in any official documents in relation to that Regiment.
"The Grenade fired proper is the badge of many Regiments, and it would seem that a claim to the sole use of the title 'Grenadier' has as little foundation as one to be the only wearers of the Grenade badge.
"It would seem that Modern Warfare has necessitated a partial return to the Grenadier Companies of former days which it is believed existed without any prejudice to the rights of the Grenadier Guards."
Lord Cavan, however, could not let the matter rest there, and again wrote to the Adjutant-General on December 22, meeting the arguments put forward by him. He said:
"I beg respectfully to reply to the remarks of the A.G.
"In Para. 2. He says the G.O.C. Guards Division is in error in supposing that the Grenadier Guards are the only Regiment in which the word 'grenadier' forms part of the title of the Regiment. The G.O.C. Guards Division never made this supposition, and is perfectly aware that the Indian Army contains the 101st Grenadier and the 102nd King Edward's Own Grenadiers, and there are also some Colonial Grenadiers, but he is not aware that any British Regiment has the word grenadier as part of its title except the First Guards.
"Reference Para. 4. No claim to be the only wearers of a Grenade Badge was made, but the title Grenadiers was officially given in the London Gazette of July 1815 to the First Guards in commemoration of their having defeated the Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard at Waterloo.
"The title of Grenadier Company is of course of ancient origin and was almost universal. If resuscitated it would be welcome and would solve the problem; if a report stated that 'the Grenadier Company of the —— Battalion then attacked' no objection would be raised, but if the report was worded 'the Grenadiers then advanced,' I consider it not only an infringement of privileges but misleading to future historians.
"Had the weapon been the carbine or carabine or the Fusil the same confusion would have arisen with the Carabineers or Fusiliers.
"It is in no carping spirit that this letter is written, but I most respectfully beg to emphasise my point that the title 'Grenadiers' was a battle honour given to the First Guards and as such should be respected."
Finding it impossible to get any redress in France, Colonel Streatfeild in January 1916 appealed to the King, as Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment, and His Majesty promised to look into the question. Nothing was done till March, and then at last, in deference to the King's expressed wish, the Army Council decided that in future the word "Bomber" should be used instead of "Grenadier." The decision was embodied in the following Order:
War Office,
28th March 1916.
673. Bombers.
The term "Grenadier" will no longer be applied to men trained or employed in the use of hand-grenades.
Such men will in future be designated "Bombers."
121/7862 (A.G. 1).
By Command of the Army Council,
(Signed) R. H. BRADE.