Newest '07 a bit rare

[CINDERS]

Just picked this one up a Vickers (my 2nd one) its not in a bad state with some pitting on the top of the blade, some edge nicks near the point, over all not shabby the blades fairly sharp.
It's recognized the 10,000 units built in WWI as being fairly correct as Vickers started late producing them though I have seen some on another forum with the date 1913 on them.
Vickers were probably concentrating on building the Vickers M.G so fulfilled the contract to the M.O.D for the bayonets and stopped there.

I am pretty happy with it it has an DOM 07 - 1918 and re-issue dates of 1929 - '33 - '37

Does anyone know what WJH over B means having little luck finding that information. TIA

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I was sure without yet reading, when you said a bit scarce...it would be a "Vickers". Nice catch. The pitting has been there a long time too.

[bcd8238]

Hi Cinders, My 2 cents worth of research here. It would appear that the scabbard is quite possibly a WW2 issue/ repair. WJH over B stands for W. J. Hill Ltd, located in Birmingham. Their wartime code was M121. They had contracts from 5 July 1941 to supply 90,028 scabbards and to supply Scabbard. Chape and Locket, assy. to maintain bayonet scabbards in service.

A key to the location of the contractor is the letter prefix. N is Northern Britain, M is Midlands and S is for Southern Britain.

No problems with the Vickers bayonet ID. The large C with a part line inside is their factory logo. The line inside the C is actually a V and this stands for Vickers, Crayford, near Dartford which is the location of their factory in the County of Kent.

Information sourced from British & Commonwealth Bayonets by Ian Skennerton and Robert Richardson (pages 192 and 230-1)

[bigduke6]

Nice bayonet Ron, The 1913 Vickers marked bayonets are P13 bayonets and are as rare as hens teeth........

I sold a lot of bayonets off many years ago and sold a a very nice Vickers example without knowing the true value, I sold it on ebay for around £50 as a buy it now, the guy who bought it said it was never delivered but it was a signed for item and a card was left, he was very quick to demand a refund through ebay so I sent the refund and put a claim in for the loss with Royal Mail as I valued it as £80, the money was paid which was £80 plus postage.....

about a month later I had a card delivered stating a parcel was waiting for me at the local sorting office, I wasn't expecting anything so was surprised to see my package it was the Vickers Bayonet.

I relisted it on ebay for a higher price and it was soon snapped up, only then did I inform the original buyer that it had been returned and sold again, this was only due to his impatience and bad attitude etc.

It was about five years later that I started to collect bayonets again but mainly 1907, 1903 and 1888's
I eventually found a Vickers for the right price but do wish I had of kept hold of my own one.


You will be looking for a Mole now.....

[CINDERS]

I am glad you stuck it up that buyer as once an item is posted even though tracked it is out of your control I once waited 6 months for a book to arrive from England and infact had given up on it when lo & behold it arrived I did not hassle the seller just left it be and was going to put in a claim but it turned up, I reckon the boat came around Cape Horn backwards with both anchors down.

Already have the MOLE (not a good stamping but it is one) BD that was pre Vickers purchase for me as for some strange reason here they seem to come up even less if at all than the latter, the only one I am missing or desire to get is a Hooky but I think that will be a pipe dream there are a few for sale here ranging from $800/Au (sale is not over yet) all the way up to $3K (was at $4K) for a Lithgow Hooky.
A year ago I picked up a Siamese contract one with the steel scabbard for $230 allot of people do not recognize them as rare due to the fact they are re-worked WWI bayonets but I do as there were only 10,000 (ratified by the order & shipment) it might be 10,001 as the King of Siam got a very special MKIII presented to him so it may have had an equally fancy '07 to join it.

For some strange reason I have the urge to chase down a Sanderson/Nuebold one I asked a collector of bayonets and he had never heard of the latter's name after Sanderson I think they were the early ones that were produced.

Pictures #1 Mole, #2 My other Vickers, #3 My other Vickers blade