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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

1916 Lithgow bayonet


jscott

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Just checked my only 1907 bayonet. It has the following markings....

Faint shield, 1915 , Lithgow on one side of blade near hilt. On other side is tow stars with A in middle and what looks like IG below. Between is a Y on its side?

To the bit with the ring on is 3MD 34383.

To the pommel below the release catch is a large 211

No clearing hole.

Bought as a Brit 1907 years ago from John Cashs place in Brum.

I thinkk I did well for £20 ish.

Any help with markings please and thank for this thread it has been interesting.

TT

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3MD is the Third Military District

IIRC:

1MD Northern Comand, Queensland

2MD Eastern Command, New South Wales

3MD Southern Command, Victoria

4MD Central Command , South Australia

5MD Western Command , west Australia

6MD Tasmania command, Tasmania

7MD Northern Territory Command

Military District stamps are common in both rifles and bayonets.

Everything else seems standard for a Lithgow 1907 Pattern bayonet. 1915 is seen as desirable amongst many collectors because of the Gallipoli connections.

Most of the smaller marks you describe appear to be inspection stamps. 211 is probably a rack number.

I suspect you would realise your 20 quid quite easily...and then some.

Chris

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Thanks,

Next time I have my camera out I will take a piccie.

TT

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  • 5 months later...

Recently landed another of these nice Lithgow bayonets, this time it was a 1917 model which doesn't appear to have had any refurb, going on the faded blueing etc.

post-52604-0-81176400-1308217413.jpg

Also found with quite an early MD marking in the 1x,xxx number series. I now have the '16, '17 and '18 Lithgow bayonets all serialed with numbers in the early 5 digits.

(Still not quite as early though as my British made bayonet with the 2,xxx MD number marked with the Tasmanian ownership stamp, this one was pre-war circa 1910.)

This new purchase actually fills a gap for me, as I have been needing the 4MD mark (South Australian) to complete the series of these Aust. Military District markings.

post-52604-0-16232800-1308218469.jpg

If anyone else has Lithgow bayonets marked like this with the early numbers, I would really like to hear about it and possibly collect some more data on the ranges etc.

Cheers, S>S

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  • 6 months later...

Last time I was in Adelaide I confiscated from my 87 year old father a 1917 Lithgow, still in scabbard and leather holster with buckle (and gold and white ribbon held on with stickytape as it was lent to a theatrical production).

Details are well worn, but appear to say Lithgow 1917 on one side, 2nd MD (Sydney) and 52656. On the top of the handle is the number 14425. The leather is well worn but underneath the D of D symbol appears to have 8Y engraved.

It complements my 1907 Wilkins that I bought from a fellow forum member in 1979 (yes, neither the internet or the GWF existed, but I remembered his name when I read his book on the 19th Bn AIF!)

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... and one more ...

OK JS, now you have got many of us at the heavy breathing stage with all these photo's... would you please start posting your piccies in regular format for those of us who like the nit-picking comparison details that some members of GWF don't like (but there again, they are not bayonet buffs!)? "Oh, is there a standard format?" (rhetorical question...:thumbsup: ). Well, kind of - rather like coins with their obverses and reverses, so in bayonets most people like to see them with the handle to the left of the piccie with the top of the grip/muzzle ring towards the top of the photo - that's the obverse or 'right' side. And with the handle to the right and the top of handle to top we have the reverse or 'left' side! Done this way I (and I suspect others) don't have to download the photo and turn it around 180 degrees to see what is what!:rolleyes: I provide, gratis, an illustration: the obverse of my Greek M(Y) 1903.

Cheers!

Trajan

PS: Edit - my only Australian is a WWII P1907, hence the appearance of a Greek WWI vintage bayonet here... My apologies - but, I could have been really off topic and used a 1950's Garand instead...!!!

post-69449-0-97623400-1326211795.jpg

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Ha! Yes I jut noticed my photos looked a little... odd, and now I see why. I will put some more up soon and will make sure they are in standard format.

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Would you please start posting your piccies in regular format for those of us who like the nit-picking comparison details ... so in bayonets most people like to see them with the handle to the left ...

Hang on a minute Trajan, I think you might have your blade upside down in that photo :whistle: ... really would be nice of you to get your own ship in order first, don't you think.??? :lol:

Cheers, S>S

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Hang on a minute Trajan, I think you might have your blade upside down in that photo :whistle:

As my late ma would say, 'Oh, you tease, you!' :rolleyes:

Trajan

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... Nice bayonet too Trajan - where did you pick that one up?

Thank you! Well, I must admit this is the nicest one I have ever found at the markets here in Turkey, and it is pretty rare as well: most of the Greek MannlicherpSchonauer 1903's had their crossguard replaced with a lower muzzle ring post WWI, and as a far as I have been able to establish, i.e., by using the various bayonet forums out there, this is one of only three unaltered examples that are known to exist...

Trajan

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