WW1 British / South Australian P.1907 Sword Bayonet & Scabbard - Hooked Quillon

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WW1 British / South Australian P.1907 Sword Bayonet & Scabbard - Hooked Quillon:
$3237.30

This bayonet isin superb original condition and wasmanufacturedinDecember 1909 by the highly regarded Pattern 1907maker; ROYAL SMALL ARMSFACTORY (RSAF)– ENFIELD. Its stamped on the pommel and scabbard locketmouth withSouth Australian SA (4 MD – 4thMilitary District) State marks and numbers (SA 2063). It is one of those rareexamples that was not adapted after 1915 and as a result it has not had aclearance hole drilled through the pommel or had its original ‘hooked’ quillonremoved.An almost identical bayonet, manufactured by Wilkinson, and with SouthAustralian marks is held in the collection of the Australian War Memorial asitem number: RELAWM13290.001 and can be viewed online.

Theoriginal markings areclearly visible, withthe1907 type mark, EFD (Enfield) makersstampandDecember 1909 (12’09)datestamped on the obverse ricassso as well asthecrown and cypher of HM King Edward VII (ER- Edwardius Rex -1901-1910). Onthe reverse ricasso it also bears a'broad arrow' Government acceptancemark andthe 'X'blade‘bending’ proof mark. It also hasa couple of unique ROYAL SMALL ARMS FACTORY (RSAF)-ENFIELD inspector’s marks of a crown over76 over E and a broad arrow over EFD over 51 (seepicture).The obverse pommel is stamped with a South Australian State mark and number (SA 2063). Thereverse pommel bears a'broad arrow' War Department ownership mark and theopposing ‘sold out of service’ broad arrow which usually indicates thonet was given to the ‘Digger’ who carried it as a memento of his service.This explains the absence of post war Department of Defence marks.

The 4 MD (4th MilitaryDistrict – South Australia) marked, Australianmade Lithgow Small ArmsFactory (Lithgow), Number 1Mark II Scabbard isundamaged, tight and in similarly excellent condition to the bayonet - seepicture. It’s also clearly markedon the rear face of the leather carcass with, from top to bottom, the A ‘star’Lithgow Small Arms Factory makers mark and abbreviated date 11(1911). Lower down its stamped with the dated re-inpection mark LITHGOW A‘star’ 1916. The scabbard locket mouth is also stamped with the Adelaidebased4 MD (4th Military District) number11969. Both locket and chape are stamped with the A ‘star’Lithgow Small Arms Factory mark. The 4th Military District was the AustralianArmy’s administrative district responsible for South Australia (and the BrokenHill region) from Federation-era reforms through to 1939. Created under theDefence Act 1903, it oversaw recruitment, training, logistics, and local forceadministration

Theseearly Pattern 1907’s were equipped with a hooked quillon which was designed todeflect an opponent’s bayonet but was found to catch on obstacles, particularlybarbed wire. As a consequence the Master General of the Ordinance orderedthat this feature be removed from British and Colonial bayonets in 1915.Hooked quillons were therefore removed from existing versions and all bayonetsmanufactured after 1915 were produced with truncated quillons. This is anexample of one of those 'Hooked Quillon' Pattern 1907 bayonets that wasadapted. Interestingly, almost all photographs of ANZAC’s in Gallipoli andshow them equipped with Pattern 1907 bayonets still sporting their hookedquillons. By mid 1916 nearly all of those bayonets that had been carriedat Gallipoli and still in use with ANZAC troops would have had their hookedquillons removed.

Forreference, I’ve attached three pictures of British made Australian used Pattern1907’s with hooked quillons, two of which are fitted with similar Pattern 1914 frogsbeing carried by Australian Digger’s.The first is an excellent colorized Australian War Memorial photograph,taken in Gallipoli of Sergeant John Lachlan Macmillan, 10th Light Horse,holding his rifle with fixed bayonet, a gramophone beside him. This image wastaken by Hugo Throssell VC and published in the Sydney Sun newspaper, on 28November 1915 with the following caption: "A remarkable photographtaken by Lieutenant Throssell VC for the Daily Mail, just before a bayonetcharge. The soldier on duty is Sergeant Macmillan, a splendid type ofAustralian, 6ft. 6in. high, and 17 stone in weight. The trench gramophone isplaying a stirring march while the men wait the order to charge. The Turks areonly 30 yards away." By the time this photograph had been published, SgtMacmillan had received a severe gun shot wound to his thigh (on 27 August 1915)and had been returned to Australia in early 1916. The second image shows an Unknown South Australian Light Horseman taken in 1916. The final image, takenin 1915, shows Trooper Harry Bunyan, ofthe 12th Light Horse Regiment, of Bodangora, in NSW. He has a hooked Patt. 1907 Bayonetcarried in a Patt. 1914 Frog hanging from his belt.

This is an outstanding, Australian marked, ‘museum quality’ FirstWorld War bayonet from a very highly regarded manufacturer inexcellentcondition: steel and wood hilt with a round steel press button and internalspring, two piece wood grips with nooil hole in the pommel, secured bytwo steel screw bolts, steel crossguard with muzzle ring and hooked quillon. Single edged sharpened steel blade with roundfullers, dated 12 ’09 andfitted with its original 1911 Lithgow made No1 MkII scabbard.

Maker:RSAF Enfield (EFD)

OverallLength: 555.0 mm

BladeLength:435.0 mm

BladeWidth (at guard):23.0 mm

Scabbard:LithgowNo1 Mk II, steel and leather with ateardrop fixing stud.

Overalllength of scabbard:468.0 mm