Bayonet Marks and Bayonet I.D

[navydoc16]

2 hours ago, peregrinvs said:

Likewise, I purchased one as it seemed a legitimate adjunct to my collection of British and Commonwealth bayonets.

It would be interesting to know how the French originally came by them. Were they US or British military assistance of some sort, or were they just purchased for peanuts on the postwar surplus market? I suppose not removing the grips made the process a lot quicker and easier.
 

The French seem to have a thing for upcycling obsolete weapons. E.g. Chassepot to Gras rifle conversions, Gras rifles converted to fire 8mm Lebel ammunition, Lebel rifles converted to carbines, etc. All grist to the militaria collector’s mill.

Now I have a simple answer and source for that. 

the French received near 200,000 M1917 rifles by the end of the war, however it seems they also received a lot of M1917’s AFTER they had already been given to the UK Home Guard for a couple years- hence I’m assuming the majority of the M1917s were shipped with M1917 bayonets and a smidge of P1913 bayonets as the British took rifles away from the home guard and replaced them with No.4 

kind regards

g

 

Edited 25 April by navydoc16

[navydoc16]

5 hours ago, AndyBsk said:

This item is confirmed on Legion Etrangere units on period pictures. Is on Gunboard a thread about.

I just don’t like the label as a “French Foreign Legion” knife by dealers and some what implies they the knife is special, or only for them - when there are plenty of photos of them in regular French divisions and peacekeepers. 
 

if the UK issues a pocketknife to everyone in the army AND the SAS - it’s not a completely honest representation to say they are “SAS knife” 

 

kind regards

g

Edited 25 April by navydoc16

[AndyBsk]

https://laguerreenindochine.forumactif.org/t22-quelques-poignards-u-s-17-legion

[navydoc16]

36 minutes ago, AndyBsk said:

https://laguerreenindochine.forumactif.org/t22-quelques-poignards-u-s-17-legion

Absolutely fascinating mate, I revoke what I said previously about the US scabbards, it seems like there was great variation throughout the authors collection. Although I did go through a bin of nearly 50 to choose my 2 and I was very much looking for a British scabbard. 
 

kind regards

g