Here's a item you don't see for sale too often. A Enfield wire cutter

[Roger Payne]

Ray,
I take my hat off to you!

[rayg]

Here's the Ross. What is the PLY stamp for, an inspector? 95% plus metal finish, stock has some usage dings, Ray

Attachment 34436Attachment 34437Attachment 34438

[boltaction]

Here's the Ross. What is the PLY stamp for, an inspector? 95% plus metal finish, stock has some usage dings, Ray

PLY is often found on Mk III Roses, and stands for PLYMOUTH Royal Marine Base. Apparently, at the beginning of WWI, there was a shortage of SMLEs until production ramped up. so, the Royal Marines gave their SMLEs to the army, and they were in turn equipped with Ross Mk IIIs once we stopped using them front line. There is a nice entry about them in the Rossrifle.com forum--pictures of Royal MArines armed with Ross Mk III's watching the German fleet scuttle itself in 1919. A bit of an unwritten history of the Ross rifle. You will also see CRB, for the CROMBIE Marine Base. Interesting rifle, and a VERY nice find on the wire cutters!

Ed

[rayg]

Thanks for that info Ed.

Warren where are you!

Ray

[Peter Laidler]

Whenever I see these things, maybe it's me, but I always imagine the platoon Sergeant walking along the trench doling out a wire cutter to every sixth man or so, and the conversation........
Private Black: What are these for Sergeant?
Sgt Jones: Ah, yes..... you fix it onto your rifle, then when we go over the top in a few minutes, you go on ahead....., not to fast mind you, and we'll follow. You get to the wire and snip it like this (demonstrates.....) and we'll all follow you through with our bayonets and blood curdling screams.
PB: But won't they be shooting at us, me in particular as I'm letting the whole platoon through to get at them with our recently razor sharp bayonets
SgtJ: Look 'ere you little scroat, don't start poncing around, just get out there and I'll speak to you after the advance
PB: .............er........, will I still be here after the advance then Sergeant?
SgtJ: Oh stop being a wimp and just get there over the top when I blow the whistle........

Yes........., not my sort of accessory for some reason

[Roger Payne]

DPL,
Judging by the number of dug up examples I've seen on The Somme, you aren't the only person to hold that view. They are sufficiently common that you get the impression they were fairly readily discarded!

ATB

[gsimmons]

Mine looks like Pvt. Black did indeed drop it.Attachment 34450Attachment 34451

[boltaction]

I did see that site and used the photos to compare mine to, thanks.

Just for information while researching it I see they are actually making repros of them. Ray

Are the repros easily distringuished from the originals? How would one tell them apart? I know that some pretty well done repros of bayonets and such are now readily available (M1917 Enfield, etc), but didn't realize that the wirecutters were being done too. I've been looking for a set of wirecutters for some time now, so now will have to be very careful. Sigh.

Ed

[rayg]

Ed, Warren had emailed me in response to my question regarding the model of my cutter and he also added some info on the repro cutters. This is what he said about them, Ray

"I did see some repro's of the cutters being sold in the UK at Beltring last year but the metal was so thin they looked like they were fabricated from pop cans. The batch I saw was made in Vietnam by DUG UP".

[Peter Laidler]

Many more of the Naval markings (see thread # 12 above) are also explained in the little butt marking disc identification book - available from Brian at BDL. the initials NOD followed by initials, such as NOD C or Ch is also a navy giveaway....., in this case, Naval Ordnance Depot, Chatham