1916 Officers Whistle with Ring attached for ease of carrying.

[kmad]

Hi 

A friend of mine purchased a sword which was dedicated to an officer in who died in WWI

Attached to the sword was this whistle.

Question? has anyone seen this adaptation to have whistle on a ring to, I presume, make it easier to carry when going into battle, but if i am wrong please let me know why such adaptation.

 

Regards,

Ken 

[Dave66]

Ken,

It’s a whistle for cavalry officers, the ring itself is designed to fit over a gloved finger hence the size….i have a Hudson one dated 1939.

Marvellous find,

Dave.

[kmad]

Many thanks for the super fast response,

here is the info on the officer in question and a pic of the sword it came with 

 

CLARK, NORMAN PICKSLAY, 2nd Lieutenant, 7th (Service), attached 2nd (104th Foot), The Royal Munster Fusiliers, 2nd son of William Clark, of Regent Square, Doncaster, JP, by his wife, Louisa Morton, daughter of James Rigby, Surgeon; born Doncaster, Co. York, 3 August, 1893; educated Doncaster Grammar School, where he was an active leader in the Boy Scout movement, and was studying for a Chartered Accountant, having passed all but the final examination when war broke out; enlisted in the North Staffordshire Regiment in August, 1914; obtained a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment 14 January, 1915; served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli from September, 1915, being then attached to the 7th Battalion RMF; was invalided home in January, 1916, with a severe attack of dysentery and para-typhoid fever; rejoined the West Yorkshire Regiment on recovery, but was transferred to the 7th RMF IN May, and subsequently attached to the 2nd Battalion; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 15 July; was slightly wounded 22 August, 1916, but remained on duty, and was killed in action at High Wood two days later, during an attack on the German lines. His Commanding Officer wrote: ‘Your boy was killed whilst most gallantly leading an attack on the enemy trenches. He was detailed by his company commander to lead the second attack, but asked to go with the first; he was hit by rifle or machine-gun fire at close range, and died at once. He was buried where he fell next day by a division which relieved us.’ Unmarried.

 

Norman Pickslay Clark (born 3 August 1893) was the son of William and Louisa Morton Clark, née Rigby. Both parents were born at Doncaster, Yorkshire.

 

1901 Doncaster, Yorkshire Census: 8, Horsehill Terrace, Thorne Road - Norman P. Clark, aged 7 years, born Doncaster, son of William and Louisa M. Clark.

 

1911 Congleton, Cheshire Census: Cross Lane Farm, Mossley - Norman Clark, aged 17 years, born Doncaster, Yorkshire. [Norman was boarding with Thomas and Sarah Blackhurst.]

 

British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards: Pte Norman Pickslay Clark, N. Staff. R.; T/2 Lieut 14th West Yorks.; T/2 Lieut R. Munster Fusrs. Theatre of War first served in: 2B -

Balkans. Date of entry therein: 19.7.15. Discharged to Commission: 1915. K. in A. 24.8.16. Correspondence: W. Clark Esq (Father), 14, Regent Square, Doncaster.

 

British Army WW1 Medal and Award Rolls: 2 Lieut N. P. Clark, R. Mun. Fus. K. in A. 24.8.16.

 

Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects: 2 Lieut N. P. Clark, 7 Muns. Fusrs. Date and Place of Death: K.I.A. 25[sic].8.16. To whom issued/Amount: Father - William Clark Esq. £77 3s. 6d.

 

UK, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923: card(s) for Norman not found.

 

Norman is commemorated in Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918.

 

Data Source: Craven’s Part in the Great War - original CPGW book entry

 

2nd Lieutenant Norman Pickslay CLARK 7th attached to the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers died 24th August 1916. He was the son of William and Louisa M Clark of 14, Regent Square, Doncaster. he is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, Somme, France

Thanks 

Ken 

Edited 3 April by kmad

[mark holden]

A super find to a much collected Irish regiment.

[mark holden]

On 03/04/2024 at 08:43, Dave66 said:

Ken,

It’s a whistle for cavalry officers, the ring itself is designed to fit over a gloved finger hence the size….i have a Hudson one dated 1939.

Marvellous find,

Dave.

Dave,

dated whistles are official issue to other ranks.
 

The following extract is credited Bruce Rolph

“Today We are going to look at the Humble British Military whistle.
In British service it was introduced as : the official date of the introduction of GSW in The British army, MkIV infantry whistle as LoC 9538 -1899 List of changes.
These are what some call the Tube whistle and the war department ones are marked with a Date and sometimes with an arrow and this is not always the case so don't worry about not having an arrow.
Now here is the myth of these whistles they are not officers and neither are they trench whistles, they are other ranks issue with the dates, officers had to buy their own whistle and there was no approved pattern for officers whistles right up to 1934, so anything went from examples i have seen.
Military did not use chains either apart from Military Police, other ranks used what is called a thong and up to 1917 this was stitched or riveted on the whistle.
Officers also used a thong or even had it attached to the sam brown cross strap.”

[PhilB]

They are regularly seen except for that territorial whistle which I don`t recall seeing, especially with thong.