auchonvillerssomme Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Yes it is what it says. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2653834/Charging-head-long-battle-The-experimental-bayonet-hat-allowed-British-First-World-War-soldiers-attack-enemy-heads.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Well, it's in the Fail, so it must be right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 11 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 June , 2014 But if you look at the picture credits they picked it up from the Bournemouth News and Picture Service. Is there a finer source? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc2 Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Wasn't this just a British attempt to copy the Pickelhaube? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Wasn't this just a British attempt to copy the Pickelhaube? A case of Pickel-envy, I'd think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 11 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Was it, it doesn't look much like a Pickelhaube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Definitely appears that it would have been more dangerous to the wearer than any German soldier. I am quite suprised that the inventor thought it worthy of a patent--as it patently was not!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 It appears that it was intended to be used as a hand weapon with the cap or helmet used as a hilt or guard for the users hand UK patent (use 'original document' in top left block) NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 It appears that it was intended to be used as a hand weapon with the cap or helmet used as a hilt or guard for the users hand UK patent (use 'original document' in top left block) NigelS But that would've placed the soldier in the presence of the enemy improperly dressed!!! Surely a serious violation of KR? Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Back in the 19th century someone patented an equally ridiculous helmet with a built in gun, fired by squeezing a bulb with the teeth, and with a spike on top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Some may now possibly appear on our favourite auction site, an essential bit of kit for the collector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 I remain totally unconvinced that this is no a con. until proven otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 In the late 19th / early 20th centuary were number of inventions to combine bayonet with other tools US Army had the Trowel Bayonet for the 1873 Springfield "trapdoor" rifle - the trowel shaped blade was an attempt to combine the bayonet with a entrenching tool http://www.legendaryarms.com/trowel-bayonet/ Also had the Rod Bayonet - long slender bayonet combining bayonet with cleaning rod http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/56/lid/3599 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 A study done by/for the US Army just after the ACW indicated that bayonets and swords were used for a multitude of purposes not associated with their original purpose and a relatively small number of soldiers were treated for wounds deliberately caused with them. IIRC uses for bayonets included, levering open crates and boxes, tethering pickets for animals, opening tins and jars, making toast, roasting on a spit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 I remain totally unconvinced that this is no a con. until proven otherwise. There's no doubting that there's a patent in existence (the 'original' as given in the article as being auctioned with the hat is, apparently, only a photocopy), but it seems that the only provenance for the hat itself is that it came from the 'Wilson Military Headgear History Research Centre in the US'; there doesn't seem to be any evidence of the prototype having been submitted to, or rejected because it was too dangerous, by the War Office as given in the Mail article (or for that matter that it was actually produced by the patentee and not something produced subsequently as a museum piece), at least that's apparent from the auction details. Click 'We can only assume' given by the auctioneers - & repeated by the Mail - possibly says it all for both the article and the hat. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 A study done by/for the US Army just after the ACW indicated that bayonets and swords were used for a multitude of purposes not associated with their original purpose and a relatively small number of soldiers were treated for wounds deliberately caused with them. IIRC uses for bayonets included, levering open crates and boxes, tethering pickets for animals, opening tins and jars, making toast, roasting on a spit. [/quote I recall my father telling me that socket bayonets were regularly issued as candle holders when they were under canvas in the field, this would account for the deformed sockets that I have often seen. My apology for being a bit off topic. As for the bayonet hat being used while worn I would think that the wearer would likely get a broken neck for his trouble. khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 13 June , 2014 Share Posted 13 June , 2014 A study done by/for the US Army just after the ACW indicated that bayonets and swords were used for a multitude of purposes not associated with their original purpose and a relatively small number of soldiers were treated for wounds deliberately caused with them. IIRC uses for bayonets included, levering open crates and boxes, tethering pickets for animals, opening tins and jars, making toast, roasting on a spit. Quite right Centurion! And the tradition continued - the UK WWII spike bayonets were basically of any use only in opening cans of condensed milk... Funny thing is that the Ottoman army did have a trench-knife with a multi-purpose tool kit in the handle - including a bottle-opener - and the Germans developed something similar but for fixing as a bayonet with their S.42, re-introduced into service by the Sudanese in the 1950's... Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted 13 June , 2014 Share Posted 13 June , 2014 The Israeli Galil rifle has a bottle opener in its stock - designed to prevent troops from using the feed lips of the ammo magazines During American Civil War some Sharps cavalry carbines had a coffee grinder built into the stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Thorne Posted 14 June , 2014 Share Posted 14 June , 2014 It's real! I had my doubts, but I just checked espsacenet, and sure enough, Patent GB103241, dated 18 January 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
militariaone Posted 15 June , 2014 Share Posted 15 June , 2014 Here's the auction's link for its sale. http://www.candtauctions.co.uk/extremely-rare-unique-british-prototype-trench-hat-fighting-knife-combination/ Regards, Lance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 16 June , 2014 Share Posted 16 June , 2014 I know the person who used to own this item before it went to the Wilson collection, and I've personally seen and handled it. It's clearly not a fake and is exactly what it purports to be. And I have no financial interest in it or the auction. Not something I would want to own, more one for the collectors of Heath Robinsoniana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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