RGJDEE Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 (edited) Here’s a recent aquisition to the collection, would be grateful if anyone has, or has seen Unit marks in this position on the pommel ?? Would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your advice, knowledge and encouragement given during the past ( my first) year of collecting. Merry Christmas and a successful collecting New year. Kind Regards Richard. Edited 23 December , 2018 by RGJDEE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 Not a RAF marking, in my humble opinion... They have a very consistent format which I think JMB is following up on but look here - https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/218466-raf-marked-bayonets/ Some kind of Royal Artillery marking? E.g., "R.A.S." is for "Royal Artillery Staff" with the th1912-1916 Instructions to armourers. But, whatever, this location for a marking is, in my experience, very unusual, although I do have one myself on - I think - a P.1888 or P.1903. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 23 December , 2018 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2018 Thanks for your thoughts as always Julian. Thanks for the thread. Thought it might be R. ( Reserve) A I , And couldn’t find anything in “ instructions”. Maybe someone else can help? Regards R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 Richard, Have to agree with Trajan, does not look like RAF issue because they are usually polished to anonymity and yours still has some blueing at the ricasso. ”RAI” is unknown to me also. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 23 December , 2018 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2018 Thankyou JMB, Hopefully someone can shed some light on either similar placements and or Unit. regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 I think this is most likely a Canadian marking. They had a habit of marking them in that position, which was a carryover from when they only had Ross bayonets. You see the Ross bayonet has a spare blank surface underside of the pommel which was nearly flat enough to use for markings. All the other metal faces on a Ross bayonet were already taken up with some form of stamping (or had a slot for attaching to rifle making it useless for marking). I believe I have a Ross marked like this in the collection somewhere and I have seen several others marked likewise. Not sure if I have ever seen a P1907 marked like this before though.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 7 minutes ago, shippingsteel said: I think this is most likely a Canadian marking. They had a habit of marking them in that position, which was a carryover from when they only had Ross bayonets. You see the Ross bayonet has a spare blank surface underside of the pommel which was nearly flat enough to use for markings. All the other metal faces on a Ross bayonet were already taken up with some form of stamping (or had a slot for attaching to rifle making it useless for marking). I believe I have a Ross marked like this in the collection somewhere and I have seen several others marked likewise. Not sure if I have ever seen a P1907 marked like this before though.? Could be, could be,,, I see your point - but would you show us an example pretty please? I don't collect Canadian bayonets but of all the Ross ones I can think of right now (after a Xmas Carol session with libations!) none are marked there. Happy to bow to your wider knowledge if you can show me one! I must dig through my collection as I am certain I have - or have seen - a P.1888 or P.1903 with an under the pommel marking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 23 December , 2018 Share Posted 23 December , 2018 Here is an illustration of this particular marking technique applied on a Ross bayonet. I know it is a poor example and the markings are mostly cancelled out but it was a photo that was easy to locate. I have been looking at some older threads for an example but found nothing so far. http://www.old-smithy.info/bayonets/make up folder 1/canada ross 3 marks.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 24 December , 2018 Share Posted 24 December , 2018 Thanks SS, I just quickly looked at my P.1888's and P.1903's, and I have one with a cancelled GB unit mark on top of the pommel/tang just in front of the mortice slot, not under the pommel and slot as I thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 24 December , 2018 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2018 Thanks to you both for your comments and expertise. Regards, Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdt Posted 29 December , 2018 Share Posted 29 December , 2018 My 08 pattern Ross bayonet is so marked (in 1913). Pictures can be seen on this thread: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/242816-canadian-marked-1907-bayonet/?tab=comments#comment-2441222 Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 29 December , 2018 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2018 Thankyou MSD, interesting thread ,with more information. There is no sign of Canadian acceptance stamps on the bayonet. ( nor any other country apart from the broad arrow) The abbreviation is still a mystery to me ! R A I ? have searched numerous sites with no matches. ☹️ Regards Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 30 December , 2018 Share Posted 30 December , 2018 Mr Dee, Looking at the photo again, is it certain that it is RAI and not a poorly struck "F" on the curved surface? Simplistically, if there is no unit with the initials RAI, then the initials RAI do not exist. Then again, even if it is "F", the location is very unusual and the number would be struck as 681 not 0681 if this an RAF-issued bayonet. However, suppose the armourer sergeant is getting behind, calls an aircraftsman off the parade ground and tells him to stamp a few bayonets on the pommel while he goes to the mess for lunch. The erk says "OK" and proceeds without supervision; 1 hr later........ Far-fetched? Possibly, but stranger things have happened. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 30 December , 2018 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2018 JMB Thats as good a theory as any. thanks. Just the thing Dad would have done (AC 2.Dee, PR) Happy new year , Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 30 December , 2018 Share Posted 30 December , 2018 13 hours ago, msdt said: My 08 pattern Ross bayonet is so marked (in 1913). Pictures can be seen on this thread: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/242816-canadian-marked-1907-bayonet/?tab=comments#comment-2441222 11 hours ago, JMB1943 said: Far-fetched? Possibly, but stranger things have happened. 2 hours ago, RGJDEE said: ... Thats as good a theory as any. Well, certainly an oddity here! Anyone else know of P.1907's stamped there? That aside, thanks Tony for the sight of your Ross marking. And you and JMB, and RGDEE, my best wishes for the New Year! Shades of 'Tis a New Year and Trajan is still here', and has in fact just survived three nights of -12 to -14, and now - WOW, a record +1 degrees as I have my Sunday lunchtime 'pint' (well, a 70 cl, actually!). Indeed, a Happy New Year to all on GWF without exception (if especially the pointed things fans!) Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGJDEE Posted 6 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2019 The plot thickens ! Found this almost identical mark on a P1913 of Remington manufacture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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