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Remembered Today:

Bayonet Identification


adrian 1008

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A sort out of the man cave has revealed this bayonet, which I ask colleagues help in identifying

 

it is 56cm long, has a GR Crown and ? dated to 1907 and Wilkinson stamped on the blade

 

On the reverse is a number of marks including  possibly an anchor with the letters XE underneath

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Apologies if it is not within scope

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Short Magazine Lee Enfield bayonet by Wilkinson.

Your one was first issued in October 1915.

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Duplicate post.

 

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Thank you

 

I also have the belt scabbard..... So Short magazine Lee Enfield was the standard Infantry weapon ?

 

Perhaps a Moderator could delete the duplication... not sure how that happened

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A clearance hole was added to the pommel from 1916 onwards, this hasn’t had one added so looks as it did when it left the factory.
Any unit markings on the pommel???…more pics of scabbard and frog will also be of interest.

 

Dave.

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I have a similar issue.

I have recently come into possession of a 1907 pattern bayonet with scabbard and frog.  I am not a bayonet collector and have no idea what I have or whether it would have any value to someone who is.

I have tried to decipher a rather bewildering set of markings from the information I could find online.  There is no visible reign mark although there is an R adjacent to an obliterated area on the left ricasso which could easily have been G.R.  Aside from the broad arrow and bend mark there are at least 4 separate Enfield inspection marks on the right ricasso and what appear to be date stamps for 18, 30, 34, 36 and 38, some on either side.  The area on the left ricasso where the manufacturer’s name would be stamped has been buffed smooth.  There are a few other marks for which I can find no reference.

The right side of the pommel is marked O.I.C., MAL and 177.  I could find no reference for these.

I do not know how or even if the scabbard if marked, I cannot figure out how to remove the frog so that I can see the markings on the locket.

The frog is heavy canvas webbing, approximately the green khaki color of USMC WWII web gear rather than the British tan khaki.  The markings on the back are illegible.

The bayonet blade is in decent shape, it does not appear to ever have had a significant sharpening, the point is straight and the true edge has no nicks but there are a couple areas of minor corrosion.

Any information you could give me as to provenance and probable value would be appreciated.  I intend to put this up for sale and I simply want to ask a fair price

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I think OTC MAL = the Officer Training Corps at Malvern College.

177 would be their rack/inventory/weapon number.

Chris

Edited by 4thGordons
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The webbing frog is a 1937 Pattern and the green colour is almost certainly the result of a coating of green blanco.

 

I would value the ensemble at £75-100.

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Once again, thank you.

Can anyone explain the multiple Enfield inspection marks and the probably corresponding multiple date stamps?  Did the RSAF have to reinspect bayonets periodically or was something else going on with this one?

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During the course of production of the bayonet, it was inspected three times.

Inspection and acceptance was denoted by the three stamps (each consisting of a crown/number/E) around the X (one atop, and two flanking).

Both rifles and bayonets were inspected routinely every few years ('18, '30, '34 etc for 1918, 1930, 1934); each of these inspections/re-acceptances was again marked by a SINGLE 

crown/number/E stamp on one or other of the ricassos.

Inspect the throat of the locket to see if the scabbard is numbered also; if matching numbers to the bayonet are present, that increases the value considerably.

Use a teaspoon handle or similar to pry the webbing over the frog button; the scabbard itself may have some markings alongside the seam near the top.

 

Regards,

JMB

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Thank you. That explains just about everything.  BTW I used your teaspoon idea and there were no markings on the locket or elsewhere on the scabbard

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On 10/06/2021 at 20:07, 4thGordons said:

I think OTC MAL = the Officer Training Corps at Malvern College.

177 would be their rack/inventory/weapon number.

 

I confirm - 1912/1916 Instructions for Armourers, page 191 - Officer Training Corps, Malvern College.

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