Bayonet hat

[auchonvillerssomme]

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

[Steven Broomfield]

Well, it's in the Fail, so it must be right.

[auchonvillerssomme]

But if you look at the picture credits they picked it up from the Bournemouth News and Picture Service. Is there a finer source?

[Doc2]

Wasn't this just a British attempt to copy the Pickelhaube?

[MikB]

Wasn't this just a British attempt to copy the Pickelhaube?

A case of Pickel-envy, I'd think...

[auchonvillerssomme]

Was it, it doesn't look much like a Pickelhaube.

[Old Owl]

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!!

[NigelS]

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

[MikB]

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

[centurion]

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

[Tony N]

Some may now possibly appear on our favourite auction site, an essential bit of kit for the collector.

[David Filsell]

I remain totally unconvinced that this is no a con. until proven otherwise.

[dman]

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

[centurion]

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.

[NigelS]

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

[Khaki]

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

[trajan]

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

[dman]

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

[John Thorne]

It's real! I had my doubts, but I just checked espsacenet, and sure enough, Patent GB103241, dated 18 January 1917.

[militariaone]

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

[wainfleet]

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.