Andrew Upton Posted 20 August , 2016 Share Posted 20 August , 2016 Trying to find what a unit marking C T over G stands for - stamped on the pommel of a November 1904 dated 1903 Pattern bayonet that is a conversion of an 1888 Pattern bayonet, so must post-date then. Possibly an Indian unit as the work was done by the RFI. Any help appreciated: https://postimg.org/image/cq65oa94f/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 21 August , 2016 Share Posted 21 August , 2016 Just to clarify, it does look more like "G T / G" to me - but I guess that is due to the angle of the photograph? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 21 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 21 August , 2016 (edited) 4 hours ago, trajan said: Just to clarify, it does look more like "G T / G" to me - but I guess that is due to the angle of the photograph? It's very definitely C T over G - quite clear in the flesh: https://postimg.org/image/jt1bo5brt/ Edited 21 August , 2016 by Andrew Upton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 25 August , 2016 Share Posted 25 August , 2016 On 8/21/2016 at 14:24, Andrew Upton said: It's very definitely C T over G - quite clear in the flesh: Thanks for confirming that. I think the format is upside down, as it were, for a GB marking, but I can't think of any Commonwealth unit that it might represent - there again by knowledge of these is effectively zilch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 28 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2016 (edited) It's had an interesting life - manufactured in London, travelled out to India, made it's way to the USA at some point, before finally coming back to England. Now it's hot-bunking an original 1901 scabbard I got with an 1888 Pattern bayonet I've fitted with a repro frog (with plans to use on a mixed repro/original 1903 Equipment set I'm working on): https://postimg.org/image/3kz1bnep9/ https://postimg.org/image/cygexcfmn/ Edited 28 August , 2016 by Andrew Upton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 August , 2016 Share Posted 28 August , 2016 On 8/21/2016 at 09:24, Andrew Upton said: It's very definitely C T over G - quite clear in the flesh: Andrew, The pommel mark CT is for The Connaught Rangers. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 28 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2016 12 hours ago, Lancashire Fusilier said: Andrew, The pommel mark CT is for The Connaught Rangers. Regards, LF Thanks, but then what of the "G" mark, and the heavy spacing between them all? Whatever the answer is I strongly suspect must take into account all the initials in one go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 28 August , 2016 Share Posted 28 August , 2016 (edited) 15 hours ago, Lancashire Fusilier said: The pommel mark CT is for The Connaught Rangers. 2 hours ago, Andrew Upton said: Thanks, but then what of the "G" mark, and the heavy spacing between them all? Whatever the answer is I strongly suspect must take into account all the initials in one go... I am a long way from home and don't have any reference material with me, but I can confirm that CT is Connaught Rangers on the 1897 Instructions for Armourers (see http://www.rifleman.org.uk/Instructions for Armourers - 1897.htm - that site does not have the 1912 version which (I think!) I do have back in Turkey). The 1897 shows a big "C" and small "T," which, of course, may not have been done in practice. BUT, Andrew's point holds - why the 'G'? Apart from which, again lack of reference material stops me from going further, but my recollection is that GB pommel markings were usually readable parallel to the blade, or parallel to the pommel head, but these are t'other way round, upside down to the pommel... Happy to be corrected, though! Julian Edited 28 August , 2016 by trajan Correct link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 August , 2016 Share Posted 28 August , 2016 19 minutes ago, Andrew Upton said: Thanks, but then what of the "G" mark, and the heavy spacing between them all? Whatever the answer is I strongly suspect must take into account all the initials in one go... Andrew, Perhaps it denotes a particular unit, I know that the Royal Engineers marked their pommels for units A, B, C, etc. Also, it could denote ' Garrison '. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 28 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2016 1 hour ago, Lancashire Fusilier said: Andrew, Perhaps it denotes a particular unit, I know that the Royal Engineers marked their pommels for units A, B, C, etc. Also, it could denote ' Garrison '. Regards, LF Possible - and a check of the LLT shows the 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers were serving out in India at the outbreak of war, which would be another potential connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 August , 2016 Share Posted 28 August , 2016 1 hour ago, Andrew Upton said: Possible - and a check of the LLT shows the 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers were serving out in India at the outbreak of war, which would be another potential connection. Good to know. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 29 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2016 And checking Wiki, that says the 1st Battalion went out to India in 1903 after participating in the Boer War. Now if I could just find out when they started moving to SMLE's from Long Lee's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tocemma Posted 29 August , 2016 Share Posted 29 August , 2016 If it is Connaughts, is the 'G' a Company letter in line with the pre-war Battalion structure? I'm sure a quick Google would confirm if 1st Connaughts had a G Company. Regards Tocemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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