British Army Officer. Inventor of the cannon shell known by his name. He joined the army at the age of 18 and had served in Gibraltar, the West Indies, and Flanders under the Duke of York. He devoted all his spare time and money to developing his invention, the shrapnel shell, a hollow cannon ball filled with shot which burst in mid-air. This weapon was finally adopted in 1803 due to his persistent efforts, and he was promoted to regimental lieutenant colonel the following year. The British first used shrapnel when they seized part of Surinam from the Dutch and established British Guiana in South America. It later helped to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. By this time Shrapnel was an inspector of artillery at the royal arsenal at Woolwich, where he began to develop other weapons. Although the shell itself wasn't used during WW II, the term "shrapnel" was and still is applied loosely to shell fragments from any high explosive, whether artillery, bomb, or mine.
British Army Officer. Inventor of the cannon shell known by his name. He joined the army at the age of 18 and had served in Gibraltar, the West Indies, and Flanders under the Duke of York. He devoted all his spare time and money to developing his invention, the shrapnel shell, a hollow cannon ball filled with shot which burst in mid-air. This weapon was finally adopted in 1803 due to his persistent efforts, and he was promoted to regimental lieutenant colonel the following year. The British first used shrapnel when they seized part of Surinam from the Dutch and established British Guiana in South America. It later helped to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. By this time Shrapnel was an inspector of artillery at the royal arsenal at Woolwich, where he began to develop other weapons. Although the shell itself wasn't used during WW II, the term "shrapnel" was and still is applied loosely to shell fragments from any high explosive, whether artillery, bomb, or mine.
Bio by: julia&keld
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