Enfield number 7 bayonets

[tankhunter]

While the No. 7 bayonet may not have had any active service, I do recall noticing them being carried by the musicians of one of the foot guard regiments on one of their tours of the United States several years ago (maybe like 25 years ago!), so in the way of the British, they did get some use after all.

If you note any film clips or current photos of Guards Musicians, they STILL wear No.7 Bayonets in White Buckskin Frogs for cerimonial purposes. Drummers used to carry a specific short sword, brass grip & scabbard Fittings. These were carried by Drummers ONLY. I cannot say if they are still used today though. There a re a LOT of Annomalies with the Brigade of Guards. Everyone has to follow Queens regulations in the Army. & the guards surely do. So queens regulations quite clearlys state: X, W, Z....But, The Regiment is going to do.......................! For example, ONLY Commisioned Officers & the RSM (Warrent Officer 1st Class) are entitled to wear a Sam Brown Swordbelt with a dress uniform. HOWEVER.....A WOII (warrent Officer SECOND Class) can wear a sambrown belt on NORMAL occasions with shortsleeved shirt & Barrack dress trousers. And he is called a Drill SERGEANT! (Coloqeuley known as 'The Drill Bloke'!) Even though he is a Sergeant Major! & that is ONLY one of HUNDEREDS of annomalies/ peculiarities that apertain to the HouseHold Division!.....

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[BlueTrain]

As it happens, I am leaving for London tomorrow evening. Great timing, eh? I will no doubt see at least one or two soldiers in full dress, possibly musicians. As I recall, one of the things that makes the No. 7 bayonet easy to spot is the russet color grips but again, that was 25 years ago. I also noticed that while on tour they wore DMS ankle boots, not hobnailed ankle boots.

Another one of the differences with the guard's NCOs is that WOIIs do not wear officer pattern No. 2 dress jackets, although the new pattern is pretty much the same as the officer model. WOIIs in other regiments often are allowed to wear some officer pattern items.

I happened to meet a former commanding officer (again, about 25 years ago) of the Blues. I met him at a Christmas party at the home of a former officer of the Greys who had started his WWII army career as an officer in the Cheshire Yeomanry. As such he participated in the last mounted campaign of the British Army in Palestine. The Cheshires were converted to a signals unit and he said he wanted to stay in a "recce" unit, so he managed to get transferred. Also at the same party I met a former Polish cavalryman who had ridden in the 1936 Olympics. The host had ridden in the 1952 Olympics for Canada. They're all gone now but for a while I was running into some very interesting people around here, which is Northern Virginia.

[tankhunter]

[QUOTE=BlueTrain;185685]As it happens, I am leaving for London tomorrow evening. Great timing, eh? I will no doubt see at least one or two soldiers in full dress, possibly musicians. As I recall, one of the things that makes the No. 7 bayonet easy to spot is the russet color grips but again, that was 25 years ago. I also noticed that while on tour they wore DMS ankle boots, not hobnailed ankle boots.

These were ALSO produced with Black Grips, in smaller numbers. Changing of the guard is at 11'O'Clock daily. Look at the BAND in FRONT of the Guard at Guard mounting to check out the bayonet types used. Some Musicians will ALSO be utilising No.5 Bayonets!

[drweiler]

Here's a No.7 on Ebay USA right now that you sure don't want to mount and shoot! WW2 BRITISH JUNGLE CARBINE BAYONET NO SCABBARD | eBay

[Peter Laidler]

Saw that DRW. The only way to remove the crosspiece as in this abortion is to take the bayonet right down to its individual parts and that means un rivetting the blade from the grip and......... and....... and then re-rivetting it. The chances of it ever being tight and therefore serviceable again is so remote...... In fact most of them had wobbly handles/blades after the first bayonet practice. We weren't allowed to weld as it upset the temper of the blades.

For the later days of the L1A1 bayonets we were allowed to arc or mig the crosspiece providing that the heat didn't upset the metallurgy. As I mentiuoned at the time......... It MUST have upset the metallurgy by the mere fact of welding! But I suppose they meant upsetting the temper!

[drweiler]

In spite of two polite corrections added to that auction, 9 bidders/14 bids drove it to a sales price of $102.50. Besides the incorrect crosspiece it had the dreaded 'ENGLAND' import stamp. Am I missing something?

[A square 10]

did it have the black or the red scales , the black seem to draw a premium

[drweiler]

Hello A square 10. Check my post four back for a link to photo. Common red scales, and note the solid crosspiece. Guess your first round thru a No.4 could fix that, if AP.

[BlueTrain]

Well, I made it there and back in one piece. I not only saw one changing of the guard but a changing of the guard at Horse Guards (mounted) and also the Edinburgh Tattoo. I am afraid I failed to take note of any bayonets. But I did notice a few things.

The new guard that day was from a line regiment who marched in with their fife and drum corps (with old-style helmets) and wearing No. 1 dress (band in full dress). But I wasn't close to them at all, so I could not see many details. If I noticed anything about bayonets when the guards band passed by (Scots Guards, I think), I've forgotten it already. Virtually all other memories were surpressed by the magnificence of the Royal Marine band at the tattoo, although I enjoyed the German mountain troops band more.

[A square 10]

link did not work for me the first time - i see it now , nice specimin