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BAYONET #72
Rare WWI production VICKERS P1907
bayonet issued to the Royal Canadian Navy. Parade
finish with period RSAF Enfield scabbard and exceptionally rare Canadian Pattern
1914 Leather Infantry Equipment Belt Frog with Helve Strap. Of
the 5,100 Canadian naval personnel serving at the war's end, less than
750 were members of the RCN, the remainder drawn from the Royal Canadian
Volunteer
Reserve.
In addition, almost 3,000 Canadians served with the Royal Navy, including
580 in the Royal Naval Air Service. A scrace bayonet and very desirable
piece of Canada's military history.
Interestingly,
the Vickers Company had a Canadian subsidiary, the Canadian Vickers
Company, Montreal, which built two of Canada's four submarines during WWI.
The Canadian Vickers Company also operated the largest private dock in
Canada, a close second to the government dock in Quebec (Levis).
ROYAL
CANADIAN NAVY
Founded
in 1867, the Dominion of Canada furnished men, equipment,
facilites and financing to the Royal Navy to protect Canada and Canadian
interests on the high seas. By the early 1900's many Canadians felt
that the
time
had come to to develop their own
independent force to protect the interests of Canada.
In 1910 the Naval Service Bill was passed to become the Naval Service
Act. The official title of the new navy was the Naval
Service of Canada or Canadian Naval Forces. It
was not until August 29, 1911 that the use of "Royal" Canadian
Navy (RCN) was granted permission by King George V.
The first ship, HMCS Rainbow, spent the early days
of WWI patrolling the Pacific Coast, the sole defence against the
German Admiral Graf von Spee's Pacific Squadron. Canada's second
ship, HMCS Niobe, with the aid of over four hundred
Newfoundland Royal Naval Reservists, was employed with the Allied
Fourth Cruiser Squadron patrolling for submarines off the coast of
New York City.
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HCMS Niobe in
drydock,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
1914
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BAYONET:
Pattern of 1907 manufactured in the UK
by VICKERS 08-1918.
Unsharpened. Two-tone (grey blade, black ricasso) parade finish.
Grips 98% perfect; one tiny ding. Black finish on pommel and tang. Overall
VGC.
Typical oversized clearance hole in pommel - a Vickers trademark
- with Canadian C-broad arrow mark.
SCABBARD: RSAF ENFIELD round button; both
chape and locket have very little of the original finish; both have
clear
EFD inspection stamps. Mouth clearly marked C
-broad arrow-N - the ownership mark of the Canadian Navy.
Leather clearly stamped EFD. Year undecipherable. Overall
VGC except for the lack of finish.
Pattern 1914 Leather Infantry Equipment Belt Frog with Helve
Strap. At
the outbreak of war in August 1914 it became immediately evident
that the Mills Equipment Company could not supply the vast quantities
of web gear required. The War Office turned to the many firms capable
of supplying similar items but in leather. More than one million
sets were ordered from firms in Britain, Canada and the US. In March
1915 it was decided to have all leather gear dyed one color called
London Brown. The belt frog (Pattern 5594) and entrenching
tool helve carrier (Pattern 5593) were required to be stamped with
the maker's name and year on each item. Clearly stamped GREAT
WESTERN SADDLERY Co. LTD, WINNIPEG 1915. Overall VGC.
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WWI BAYONET PRODUCTION
PATTERN OF 1907 BAYONETS |
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| Wilkinson Sword Co |
2,360,000 |
| Sanderson & Newbould |
1,600,000 |
| RSAF Enfield |
500,000 |
| J.A.Chapman |
300,000 |
| Remington Arms, USA |
100,000 |
| R. Mole & Sons |
60,000 |
| Lithgow, Australia |
42,330 |
| Vickers Ltd. |
10,000 |
| Ishapore, India |
unknown |
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