WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

Rare Pre 1940, 36th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Badge, Royal Engineers, based on 344 AA Company at Harrow, To Become 58th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, With Service In The Battle of Britain, The Blitz, & Operation Diver to Combat Against V1 Rockets

Individually serial number stamped to the searchlight operator or officer. Early three figure number 155. Multi colour enamel of a searchlight beam, in white, with a Junkers bomber, in red, in its beam, surmounted with king's crown, R. E. T. A. and motto In Defence Of Harrow within a scroll, in red enamel.

Searchlight crews were vital for illuminating enemy bombers at night so that anti-aircraft gunners and night fighters could intercept them. Because of this, they were frequently targeted directly by the Luftwaffe via bombing or strafing runs to blind the air defenses.

The Fall of France (1940): Many searchlight crews were overrun by the German advance. The 3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment suffered 28 killed, 41 wounded, and three captured during their defense of the retreat. The 21st Searchlight Militia lost half their unit during the evacuation, and personnel from the 2nd Searchlight Regiment were forced into close-quarter infantry combat during the defense of Calais.Singapore (1942): The 5th Searchlight Regiment lost over 50 men killed and approximately half the regiment captured when the fortress fell

58th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (TA) raised just before World War II. It defended the East Midlands of England during The Blitz, and later served as infantry in North West Europe at the end of the war, converting to the anti-aircraft (AA) artillery role postwar.

This searchlight unit was formed as part of the doubling in size of the TA at the time of the Munich Crisis in late 1938. Formally, it was a duplicate of 36th (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers, based on 344 AA Company at Harrow, which was transferred from 36th AA Battalion to provide a cadre of trained men. Two new companies were then formed to give the unit the following organisation

58th (Middlesex) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers

In February 1939 the existing AA defences came under the control of a new Anti-Aircraft Command. In June a partial mobilisation of TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each AA unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA and searchlight positions. On 24 August, ahead of the declaration of war, AA Command was fully mobilised at its war stations. The outbreak of World War II saw 58 AA Battalion forming part of 40th Anti-Aircraft Brigade in 2nd AA Division. Based at RAF Duxford, the brigade was responsible for providing AA defence for RAF airfields in East Anglia. In April 1940, 58th moved to come under the command of 39 AA Bde.
Battle of Britain and Blitz
On 1 August 1940 the Royal Engineers' AA battalions were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA), being redesignated searchlight regiments, and the companies became batteries. By this time 58th (Middlesex) had been moved to 32nd (Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, still in 2 AA Division, but now responsible for AA defence of the East Midlands during the forthcoming Blitz.

On 19 April 1943, 344th Bty received orders to train for a mobile role, and after this training it joined 100 AA Bde on 30 June. 100 AA Bde was one of the formations slated to participate in Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy planned for 1944) and shortly afterwards the battery became formally independent of 58 S/L regiment. 344th Independent S/L Bty proceeded to Normandy in July 1944 where it pioneered the use of searchlights to create artificial moonlight, otherwise known as movement light or 'Monty's Moonlight', to aid movement in night operations by 21st Army Group. In February 1945 it changed its title to 344th Independent Moonlight Bty and split off a separate 581st Independent Moonlight Battery.

Operation Diver
Meanwhile, the rest of 58th S/L Regt (425 and 426 Btys) had remained with AA Command. In May 1944 it was joined by 314 (Kent) S/L Bty from 29th (Kent) S/L Rgt. Then on 1 June E Troop of 372 S/L Bty of 43rd (5th Duke of Wellington's Regiment) S/L Rgt joined and became E Trp of 425 S/L Bty. Soon after D Day in June 1944 the bombardment of London by German V-1 flying bombs began, and AA Command was engaged in the efforts to combat them (Operation Diver). Much of AA Command's strength was repositioned on the South Coast of England to engage the V-1s as they came in over the sea. In the centre of the line at Dungeness were four Z Batteries, each of 64 twin 3-inch rocket-launchers. Z Batteries defending towns were by 1944 largely manned by shifts of part-time members of the Home Guard, but for these frontline batteries the detachments were provided by 58th S/L Regiment, which had been hastily trained in the new role.

Once the Government had decided that women could be attached to Mixed Batteries of Anti Aircraft Command of the Royal Artillery it was agreed that this could well include searchlight duties. A secret experiment was carried out in April 1941 to see if women were capable of carrying out the tasks that were required of Searchlight Regiments. On 23 April 1941 54 A.T.S. members were sent for training at Newark. They were aged between 19 and 35 "the Army Intelligence tests showed the general intelligence to be rather higher than that of the men: the members were fairly representative of A.T.S. personnel."

This was a WW2 song for the Searchlight Girls:

"When the barrage opens out to meet the invading hun
Everybody's thoughts go out to the Girls Behind the Guns
But they are not the only girls in the frontline every night
For suddenly from out of nowhere comes a blinding light
A long accusing finger pointing upwards to the sky
To tell the guns and fighters "there the raiders lie"
They're the Girls that do a job - A far from easy one
But equally important in keeping off the hun
Unloved, unwanted - fact few people know
That when the beams are out at night the girls are down below
But if they help in some small way to keep the hun at bay
They're satisfied
And don't give two hoots what people say"  read more

Code: 26231

A Spectacular & Most Rare 1928, Original 'Zeppelin' Issue Airship Cocktail Shaker & Travelling Bar. An Amazing Example of Art Decor Functional Object D'art. The Last Example of This Wonderful & Rare Aeronautica That We Found, Sold For $23,000

Only the second we have had since 1930, and we have only ever seen one or two others in the States

A jolly rare piece of superb and unique Third Reich period Art Deco German craftsmanship, DRGM register stamped beneath the cocktail shaker body, with its serial number '11'. Only the second we have had in the past 18 years. Stunning, original Art Deco piece, almost certainly by J.A. Henkels Twin Works of Germany. DRGM stamped and further marked, Made in Germany on the base. Made for, used and sold aboard the Graf Zeppelin Air Ship and later, the Hindenberg Air Ship. There are 14 pieces, in this set including; the gondola, four stacking cups, a corkscrew and cover, a gin tankard flask, a full shaker, with lid, and condiment container { tail fin section}
.
All pieces are plated on their interior in 24k gold. It's brilliantly engineered and constructed, the pieces fitting together to form a Zeppelin Airship model, with hand-in-glove precision.LZ 129 Hindenburg (Luftschiff Zeppelin 129; Registration: D-LZ 129) was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. It was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). It was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German-built and -operated, passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled, rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. When it entered commercial service in 1928, it became the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a count (Graf) in the German nobility. During its operating life, the airship made 590 flights covering more than 1.7 million kilometers (over 1 million miles). It was designed to be operated by a crew of 36 officers and men. The LZ 127 was the longest rigid airship at the time of its completion. The creation of the DZR as successor to DELAG occurred for both political and business reasons. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) chairman Hugo Eckener, who had intended to run against Hitler in the 1932 presidential election, was already disliked by the Nazis. When Eckener later resisted the new Nazi government's efforts to use zeppelins for propaganda purposes, Reich Minister of Aviation Hermann Goring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Goring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. To complicate matters further, the Luftschiffbau was a loss-making concern and needed cash investment, in particular to complete construction of the Hindenburg.

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Lufthansa. The LZ Group's capital contribution came primarily from its two airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg, the latter of which was not yet complete on the date of incorporation.
Overall length of the portable cocktail bar is 12 inches. This example is in superb original condition. The nickel finish is fully original but worn. "The Zeppelin Airship cocktail shaker and traveling bar"
Circa. 1928 {not the commonly found 1960's copy, with DRGM marked gondola} silver-plated brass 4 inches wide x 12 inches high. Just lacking 4 spoons that fit in the gondola however, the spoons should be relatively easy to replace I cup is an original period replacement.
A near identical example, by the same maker, made in the the same year, was sold at auction. It was an identical, but a complete eighteen-piece set with four spoons including the four nesting spoons, four nesting cups, removable flask, and with an original, leather case. Signed the same with the impressed manufacturer mark to underside: Germany D.R.G.M. with serial number 11. Signed with impressed Germany. Estimated 7,000 to 9,000 dollars, that example sold for $23,750 dollars US. In Wrights Modern And Contemporary Design Auction, in Illinois October 2012.
DRGM; Deutsches Reich Gebrauchs Muster

Provenance: Private collection, Los Angeles
Literature: Modernism: Modernist Design 1880-1940, Duncan, pg. 187. Link to the $23,000 auction example; copy and paste
https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2014/12/important-design/177  read more

Code: 21160

A Very Good Original 1934 Early Pattern, Designed Without Insignia, WW2 Third Reich, German, Combat Fire Protection Police Service Helmet, With Comb and Detachable Leather Neck Shield. Feuerwehr/Feuerschutzpolizei

The Fire Protection Police ServiceFeuerwehr/Feuerschutzpolizei, earliest pattern of combat helmet, overall in superb condition, dent free, with its original liner intact, and neck defence, complete and original, that was attached by ingenious floating leather supports, that made it easily detachable by hand without tools. The nickel top crown comb is perfect, and damage free too. If one was seeking a very fine example of the earliest pattern combat grade helmet, used by the Third Reich, complete, untouched and original, you could not do better. In 1936 they added a swastika decal to the surface paint, { for a hand painted version see photo 9 in the gallery} but in 1934, the earliest type, {this one} was made without any swastika decal, either printed or hand painted.

Political control of the Feuerwehr (fire departments) and Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police) in Germany was centralized under the National Ministry of the Interior and the SS during the Nazi regime.
The structural hierarchy of this control included:
National Control (The Third Reich): Professional career fire departments were militarized and absorbed into the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police). The overall commander was Kurt Daluege, who answered directly to Heinrich Himmler as the Chief of the German Police.

Although Prussia had incorporated its fire-fighting organisations into the Police system in 1933, it was not made universal throughout Germany until 1938 when the authorities increasingly believed that a future conflict might involve air-raids on a national scale. As a precaution, some 90 German cities were ordered to transfer their fire fighting personnel into the newly created Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police), commanded directly by a highest police authority, Heinrich Himmler.

Where necessary, auxiliaries (Freiwillige Feuerwehren) were recruited to supplement the numbers of the Feuerschutzpolizei, while other smaller towns and rural areas maintained both volunteer auxiliaries and the Feuerwehr.

The M34 helmet was initially adopted for service in 1934, but it was only from 28 July 1936 that the police style insignia began to be worn. The detachable leather neckflap gave obvious protection to the wearer but was later deleted, as was the comb, possibly as a cost saving, with metal plugs fitted to fill the holes.

The other protection service were members of the Luftschutzwarndienst (Luftschutz) were typically volunteers assembled into area units within cities and towns that held the highest risk of being bombed. Many population centres were divided into area “blocks” with unit leaders assigned to each individual section of a city. Volunteer teams were expected to rotate shifts and sleep in large concrete bunkers that held all the provisions and amenities of a regular fortification. These also included the immense “flak towers” built around German cities upon which anti-aircraft batteries were stationed.

On 2 April 1943 Hermann Göring mandated compulsory service in the Luftschutz for all German civilians. For the first time this order included women. Members of the Luftschutz were expected to supply their own helmets as part of the contribution to the German war effort. A variety of helmets were available for 5 Reich Marks each, but many volunteers chose to scavenge captured helmets of Czech, Polish, Dutch, French, and Russian origin.

The more usual types of Third Reich helmets, the M1935, M1940 and M1942 were examples of what regular combat helmets were manufactured, and during the National Socialist era, customers for these regular helmets were all the armed forces including the Waffen-SS, generally showing very high craftsmanship.
This 1934 pattern was a separate type of Third Reich era combat helmet, issued a year before the M35, but it is fairly clear, the M35, the first ‘regular’ Third Reich period, original, armed forces combat helmet, may well have been inspired by the steel skull form of this helmet. The M35 Stahlhelm was designed by Dr. Friedrich Schwerd of the Technical Institute of Hanover. First introduced in 1935, his design refined the iconic World War I Stahlhelm. It featured a lighter steel alloy, a rolled-in edge, and improved ventilation rivets. Dr Schwerd may well have designed both this, and the regular M35 at the same time of course, but it may have taken a year longer to perfect and issue the M35.

This fine German pre war and WW2 Fire Protection Police Combat Helmet is complete with its original chin strap clip bearing US patent for the chin strap clip buckle (Patent : TUCK TITE USA PAT 1590400 Made in Germany) and with its with its original neck cape shield later removed

It’s strap buckle was a patent exported from America into Germany in 1926 into German industry  read more

Code: 26200

A Good, & Very Rare, German Third Reich, WW2 Wehrmacht 14th Kavallerie Regimental Sword. Used In Operation Barbarossa The Invasion of Russia and the Eastern Front. Amazing that It Is One Of The Few To Survive the Debacle of The War in the East.

Used in WW2, yet with only a 20% survival rate of the Eastern Front campaign by German forces, this sword is a remarkable survivor. Cavalry regiments had an even greater loss percentage. In major offensives the survival rate dropped to less than one in ten men survived to return home.

For every 100,000 men captured by Russia less than 6% ever returned alive from captivity.

Fully etched combat blade with full regimental name of the 14th Kavallerie and an etched panel of a cavalry charge, with all the troop wearing steel combat helmets. Steel P hilt, black celluliod grip with wire binding. Black painted steel scabbard. Fully etched blade with 14th Kavallerie etched, with cavalry combat charges, a horse's head profile and florid d?cor. The same type of sword worn by General der Kavallerie Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach, who joined the 14th Kavellerie, aged 42, in 1930, as a major. In September 1939 he was made Chief of the General Staff of the XXXIV Corps Command. Serving in the war for two years on the Eastern Front he was promoted in November 1944 to Commanding General of the LIII Army. General Graf von Rothkirch und Trach was captured at Neunkirchen by Lieutenant Colonel Abrams' 37th Tank Battalion in March 1945. The remnants of Graf von Rothkirch und Trachs LIII Army Corps fell back across the Rhine River but was destroyed a month later in the Ruhr pocket. Kavallerie was drawn down somewhat in the German armed forces after the French campaign, but soon after the invasion of Russia it was realised an increase in Cavalry was essential for anti-partisan policing and for recce in terrain unsuitable for vehicles. In the picture gallery their shows an original photo of a WW2 German cavalry trooper who has his identical sword mounted on his saddle. During the war German cavalry units increased in numbers from a single brigade to a larger but still limited force of six cavalry divisions and two corps HQ. All regular cavalry troops served on the Eastern Front and the Balkans and a few Cossack battalions served on the Western Front.

The German Army of 1941 had a single cavalry division assigned to Heinz Guderian's panzer group. Continuously engaged against Soviet troops, it increased in size to six regiments and in the beginning of 1942 was reformed into the 24th Panzer Division that later perished in the Battle of Stalingrad. In April-June 1943 the Germans set up three separate cavalry regiments (Nord, Mitte, Sud) horse units reinforced with tanks and halftrack-mounted infantry. In August 1944 these regiments were reformed into two brigades and a division forming, together with the Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division, Gustav Harteneck’s Cavalry Corps that operated in Belorussia. In February 1945 the brigades were reformed into cavalry divisions (German stud farms in East Prussia were not affected by the Allied air raids that crippled German industry
The SS operated both paramilitary horse units (23 cavalry regiments in 1941) and military Waffen SS cavalry. The SS Cavalry Brigade, formed in 1940, was engaged against civilians and guerrillas in the occupied territories and then severely checked by the Soviet Rzhev-Sychevka offensive. In 1942 the SS reformed the brigade into the 8th SS Cavalry Division manned by volksdeutsche, which operated on the Eastern Front until October 1943. In December 1943 the 8th Cavalry spun off the 22nd SS Cavalry Division manned with Hungarian Germans. These divisions were properly augmented with heavy, field and anti-aircraft artillery. Another SS cavalry division, the 33rd Cavalry, was formed in 1944 but never deployed to full strength.

The Germans recruited anti-Soviet cossacks since the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, although Hitler did not approve the practice until April 1942. Army Cossacks of 1942 formed four regiments and in August 1943 were merged into the 1st Cossack Division (six regiments, up to 13,000 men) trained in Poland and deployed in Yugoslavia. In November 1944 the division was split in two and reformed into the XVth Cossack Corps. The Kalmyks formed another cavalry corps, employed in rear guard duties.

In February 1945 German and Hungarian cavalry divisions were thrown into the Lake Balaton offensive; after a limited success, German forces were ground down by the Soviet counteroffensive. Remnants of Army cavalry fell back into Austria; 22,000 men surrendered to the Western allies, bringing with them 16,000 horses. Remnants of SS cavalry, merged into the 37th SS Division, followed the same route
Expected areas of service wear to the scabbard paint and light surface pitting on areas of the blade and hilt. Very bright polished overall  read more

Code: 21358

Part of a Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, British and German. An Incredibly Rare WW1 German Machine Gunners Abteilung Marked Utility and Combat Axe and Cradle Leather Belt Holster Regimentally Marked

steel axe head stamped with standing lion makers mark and “G. LEWELT”, waved wooden haft. Housed in brown leather cradle with stud fittings, stamped to the inside “1 M.G.A” 1st Maschinengewehr Abteilung and the axe block with “BA II 1917” Issued to Bekleidungsamt Armee Korps Stettin. Split to leather by brass stud. Used by the machinegunner to cut down trees or wood that thus enabled a machine gun to be placed at its best advantage point, preferably concealed by wood or thicket. It was also the perfect trench warfare close combat weapon. The German army had been a late convert to the potential of machine guns, but its tactical employment of them in 1914 proved superior to that of its enemies. German machine gunners exploited the weapon’s long-range accuracy, and the fact that the guns were a regimental (rather than battalion) asset allowed them to be grouped to achieve maximum effect. This efficiency created a myth that Germany deployed far more machine guns than its opponents in 1914.

Following the onset of positional warfare, machine guns gained notoriety as highly effective direct-fire weapons. They could theoretically fire over 500 rounds per minute (rpm), but this was not normal in combat, where "rapid fire" generally consisted of repeated bursts amounting to 250 rpm. The effectiveness of these bursts of between ten and fifty bullets was enhanced by exploitation of ballistics and the precision offered by firing from adjustable mounts. At ranges of 600 metres or less, machine guns could create fixed lines of fire which would never rise higher than a man's head, with deadly results for those attempting to advance across them. Or the gun could be traversed between bursts to offer what the French called feu fauchant (mowing fire). At longer range, their bullets fell in an elliptical "beaten-zone", giving them an area-fire capability.

Groups of guns could interlock their fire. In favourable circumstances, such as at Loos on 26 September 1915, or on the Somme on 1 July 1916, this could prove devastating. But although this is how machine guns are now best remembered, new methods of using them were developed from 1915 onwards.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us  read more

Code: 23343

A Good 19th-20th Century French 1886 Pattern Lebel Rifle Sword Bayonet & Frog Hook Scabbard. WW1 French Foreign Legion Issue

With full quillon, complete, and in nice condition. Used by the French Foreign Legion into WW1, a very good example of these long and impressive sword bayonets. 65.5cm long overall. {25.75 inches}. Cross section epee blade nickle hilt. The scabbard has a frog hook fitting that fixes to the belt with a strap {complete with strap} instead of the past and common frog button
Our current just arrived selection of bayonets ranges from a collection just acquired of really great and rare bayonets, from a collector who wanted the very best he could find over the past 40 years. Rare French examples from the Russian contract during WW1, uncovered in Ukraine in the late 90's, French Foreign Legion bayonets, acquired from a French Foreign Legion reserve armoury depot clear-out in the 70's,

The bayonet was made famous as the bayonet used by the French Foreign Legion used in WWI and WWII, albeit with several modifications. The bayonet was produced with a long cruciform blade on a white alloy hilt. The crossguard originally had a downswept quillon like this one {was removed in 1916} and had a press button rifle locking mechanism.

The French Foreign Legion fought in the trenches during WWI on the Western Front, alongside other European theaters of war like the Balkans. This was a shift from their traditional role as they were deployed to fight in Europe instead of just colonial territories. The Legion's units were made up of both veteran mercenaries and wartime volunteers who joined to fight for France, with the latter often finding themselves in the Legion due to circumstances rather than choice.
Deployment: The Legion was not only on the Western Front but also fought in other theaters, such as in the Balkans in engagements in Greece, Serbia, and Macedonia.
Composition: While the traditional "mercenary" legionnaires were part of the force, a large number of new volunteers also joined specifically to fight in the war for France.
Trench warfare: Legion units, like other French army units, were involved in the brutal trench warfare that characterized the war on the Western Front.
Combined forces: The Legion fought alongside other Allied forces, such as the British army in some theaters.

The Lebel bayonet type with the quillon removed is the M1886/93/16 (Model 1886/93/16).
The original M1886 bayonet featured a prominent hooked quillon, intended for parrying or trapping enemy bayonets. This design was updated in 1893 with a new press button mechanism (M1886/93), and then altered again in 1916 (M1886/93/16) to eliminate the quillon.
The quillon was removed for several practical reasons during World War I:
Ease of manufacture: Removing the quillon simplified and sped up the production process to meet the demands of the war effort.
Field functionality: The hooked quillon was found to be impractical in close combat, as it could get tangled in equipment or other objects.
Material conservation: Around the same time, the original nickel-silver (cupro-nickel-zinc alloy) handles were replaced with brass or steel to conserve nickel for other war uses.
Bayonets produced with the quillon (pre-1915 models) were often officially modified later by having the quillon cut off while in service. Bayonets manufactured after 1916 were made without the quillon from the start.

French Model 1886/93/16 Epee Lebel Bayonet

The model M1886/93/16 Bayonet was standard issue to French Foreign Legion soldiers fighting in the second half of WW1 after 1916 who were issued the Lebel rifle.

The M1886 bayonet is an usual design which has a long thin cruciform Blade with a peculiar locking device just behind the muzzle ring and an all metal grip

The later model was the same but with adjustments, see below, and re designated the M1886/93/16 bayonet

Cast smooth handle
No hooked Qullion
Square cut press stud
Cruciform blade
Black steel tube scabbard with frog hook.
Overall length 67cms
Blade length 51.5cms
Originally the bayonets had a nickel-silver handle and a hooked quillion, just as this example. By 1916, with the need to conserve nickel for the war effort, some of the handles were made of brass. About the same time they were manufactured without the quillion.

The steel quillon and scabbard has old age russetting, the quatrefoil blade and nickel are excellent.

Delivery cost shown as for UK mainland only. Non UK delivery is now considerably upgraded for safety issues  read more

Code: 26071

A Superb K98 Mauser Combat Bayonet. Early to Pre War Manufacture 1939 By Coppel GmbH. Matching Bayonet & Nickel Plated Scabbard.

Karabinier Kurz Mauser K98k Seitengewehr 84/98. Early bakelite gripped, Serial number 7333. Matching Waffenamt 'Wa253' inspector markings to the scabbard and pommel, with full matching maker markings to both parts. Bayonet blade and scabbard, in wonderful bright plus condition, the bayonet fits and extracts perfectly, with perfect functioning rifle button catch.

A bayonet for the standard Mauser arm used by the Heer Army, Kriegsmarine Navy, used before and during the allied liberation of France, and subsequently the whole of the enslaved Western Europe, until, finally, the capture of Berlin by the Red Army. The Karabiner 98 kurz (German; "carbine 98 short", often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k and often incorrectly referred to as a "K98" (which was a Polish Carbine), is a bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.92 ×57mm Mauser cartridge that was adopted on 21 June 1935 as the standard service rifle by the German Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. Although supplemented by semi- and fully automatic rifles during World War II, it remained the primary German service rifle until the end of the war in 1945.


Sold to over 18s only.  read more

Code: 25904