P.1907 Lithgow & Scabbard

[JMB1943]

My second new bayonet in a long time, and it was also bought to fill a hole in the collection.

This is a Patt. 1907 manufactured by Lithgow 1919. The blade was blued form pommel to tip, although it is somewhat worn off at the last couple of inches.

No re-inspection dates.

Left ricasso shows "A in a star" (Lithgow) over a shield (partial stamp, very faint), over LITHGOW over 1919.

Right ricasso shows the X-bend proof mark, straddled by two "A in a star" marks; blow is very small "A in a star" over III.

The cross-guard is marked "2ND M.D. 73988" for the 2nd Military District (New South Wales)".

The pommel bears the serial "A over 35196", and no clearance hole.

The grips are made of a much lighter-colored wood (coachwood or maple ?) than the red-brown walnut wood seen on British made P.'07's.

Finally, the RHS grip is stamped "AUSTRALIA" to denote country of origin whn the bayonet was imported into the US.

 

As with my recent Remington P.'07, the scabbard is very interesting. 

The locket & chape are both figured (curved edges) and both blackened, and the leather is also very black-looking.

The locket has the tear-drop frog button, and is marked crown/P3/italic B (BSA, B'ham). The back of the locket is stamped "2".

There is no visible stamp on the chape.

The leather has two sets of markings, both high up near the seam.

On LHS of seam is "Broad arrow/ Crown/1D/E" ; this is above a broad, wide "U" which has a small broad arrow enclosed within it. 

This "U" has been struck through with two opposed "hangman's knots" or "canoe paddles".

I read this as initial issue to U(nion of South Africa), which was later rescinded.

On RHS of seam is "J.W.B. over 17", presumably maker & year of manufacture.

I have seen JWB identified speculatively as J. W. Brown(e) of Birmingham; is this correct?

 

Regards,

JMB

[Chasemuseum]

. A nice bayonet.

Cheers

Ross

Edited 17 February , 2019 by Chasemuseum
repetition

[trajan]

8 hours ago, JMB1943 said:

 

...I have seen JWB identified speculatively as J. W. Brown(e) of Birmingham; is this correct?

 

 

Yet another nice one JMB!

 

JWB is a bit of a puzzle... J.W.Brown(e) of Birmingham is certainly the consensus. BUT, no leather makers / curers etc., of that name in Whitakers Red Book of Commerce or Who's Who in Business for 1914. It could be, of course, that they did not subscribe to Whitakers, and so their name is not listed, but if they were a large enough firm to get the contract for making - I would guess - thousands of scabbards, I would have expected them to be there.