British Bayonet

[browningautorifle]

would you expect there to be at least some physical changes

Usually, but not always. Some get missed and it's a Friday job...

[old-smithy]

There are loads of cases where common acronyms will get you wrong ;
SAS, is Small Arms School not Special Air Service, or Scandinavian Air Services, you'll find 07's with these pommel marks, or it could be South African Railways

.

The original DP marked 07's which were official issue were marked on the pommel end and had a very rounded point, but were only produced in very small numbers, The official one was dropped from the lists and normal 07's were used instead.

The DP for Delhi Police is gaining ground, as so many show no signs of rounding or wear and damage that could be ascribed to use as a training weapon. What we need is an Indian collector that can do the research in India, I've written to thee museums and the army for information with no response at all.

[Aragorn243]

DP can simply mean it's no longer suitable for service as in obsolete. New Zealand DP'ed a bunch of Enfield Rifles for that reason, nothing wrong with them, they just wanted them off the books.

$20 is a steal for one of these these days, you did well. I paid $20 for one about 5 years ago and then watched in amazement as they kept going up and up and up. Bargains are still out there.

[Flying10uk]

I've checked all my Indian 1907 mk2 bayonets tonight and none have the D.P. marking but I have noticed it on examples for sale but I don't recall seeing one of these with a rounded point. I have, previously, seen the "D.P." mentioned on-line as being possibly standing for Delhi Police in relation to these bayonets but I have been slightly sceptical about this information because I have not seen any evidence to back up this claim. It could be a case of one person suggesting the idea and others repeating it.

If "D.P." does indeed stand for Delhi Police would it not be reasonable to assume that if they would mark all/most of their other equipment in a similar manner, including serviceable rifles? Perhaps they do/did mark their equipment, other than bayonets, in this manner? If Delhi Police did mark their bayonets this way, would it not be reasonable to assume that other Indian Police departments would have marked their bayonets in a similar manner? Has anyone seen "B.P.", for example, marked on 1907 mk2 bayonets that may have once belonged to the Bombay Police?

[porterkids]

I've always considered the DP marked bayonets with the white band to be Drill Purpose.

[Peter Laidler]

Re thread 12. Not quite as you say Smithy. A good point of course but while SAS did indeed indicate Small Arms School, it was changed immediately the Sp Air Svce came live. Thereafter the identification symbol for the Small Arms School became SASC - so as to avoid any similarity. Same as when the Corps of Signals became the ROYAL Signals, RS became associated with the old Royal Scots. So one became RSigs while the other became RSct.

Mind you, if I had a DP marked bayonet - or anything else now that I think of it - and a collector of Indian Police memorabilia had a large wallet and needed a Delhi Police bayonet, I'd have magically found him one!

DP= Drill Purpose; as does a white band

[browningautorifle]

Military markings identification always takes a beating when interpreted by civilian's imagination...

[old-smithy]

[QUOTE=Flying10uk;408454]I've checked all my Indian 1907 mk2 bayonets tonight and none have the D.P. marking but I have noticed it on examples for sale but I don't recall seeing one of these with a rounded point. I have, previously, seen the "D.P." mentioned on

This is one that got me as well, I've never seen any other than DP. The DP question I remember first coming up as Delhi some 15 years ago form a very well informed dealer in the UK when I was writing my CD on the 1907. I also remember a big discussion some years ago that was quoting the size of the Delhi police in relation to others, and it all made sense as Delhi, unfortunately that data has been mis laid.

here is one picture with the white stripe hilt and I mentions that it is a school in Delhi - so not army although how their ROTC or whatever works I don't know - maybe DP mean Delhi Province???



the second picture shows a white stripe, again this is related to a college so again not necessarily military




and finally a WWI picture of training and the blades are not rounded

[browningautorifle]

The bayonet assault course is EXACTLY where you DO use DP rifles and bayonets. That's about the hardest course on rifles and bayonets so you don't want to damage serviceable models. These would be handed back, next man, next man... I can't even see any DP markings on the last pic, the second from right hand man perhaps? No fine detail to be seen on those bayonets edges...

[Peter Laidler]

I would imagine that like the rest of the world and certainly here in the UK, the Army Cadets (same with Navy and RAF) Cadet Forces and public schooll CCF cadet Forces are wholly equipped and funded by the MoD. My last word on the DP saga is this. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck and waddles like a duck, thin it's usually a duck. If it's got DP on it..............