During World War I the British had developed flamethrowers. Banks had seen the Livens Large Gallery Flame Projector used at the Somme in July 1916 and a large scale flamethrower had been installed on HMS "Vindictive" and used in the raid on Zeebrugge. Portable flame throwing apparatus was also designed but the war ended before it could be fully employed; further development ceased and records of the work were lost.