I was looking through my copy yesterday in relation to this 6.5 vs. 8.5 question; it's a great read. A pity there were no subsequent editions(?)

Available online now: Textbook of Small Arms 1929 [Great Britain War Office] : [Great Britain] War Office : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Download options below the main window on the right.

"The gradual obsolescence of the arme blanche has been thought to justify the historical treatment of the sword by an admitted authority on that subject." Myself I would have thought that was justify its omission!

The table on p. 371 may be of some relevance; I might look into that later. Textbook of Small Arms 1929 [Great Britain War Office] : [Great Britain] War Office : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive