British / South African Lee Enfield 1907 Pattern Bayonet, Dated 1917 by Wilkinson
Straight single-fullered knife blade, steel hilt with muzzle ring, wood slab grips secured by two screws, steel beaked pommel with oil hole and locking button. Black leather No. 1 Mk 2 scabbard with steel locket & teardrop-shaped frog stud and steel chape piece. Brown leather belt frog with buckled scabbard retaining strap.
The ricasso is stamped on one side with a crown over 1907 (the pattern) ‘8 ‘17’, indicating the manufacture date of August 1917, and the maker’s mark ‘Wilkinson’. On the other side it is stamped with a ‘broad arrow’ War Department stores mark, three crown inspection marks with ‘E’ from Enfield, a reissue date stamp ’27 for 1927 and an ‘X’ indicating that it passed a manufacturer’s bending test. The front of the belt frog is stamped with ‘42’ and a ‘U’ containing a broad arrow, the government ownership mark of the Union of South Africa. The leather of the scabbard is faintly stamped with the manufacture date ’15. The scabbard’s chape is stamped beside the staple with ‘RE’ within a circle, suggesting manufacture by Remington.
On the rear of the frog’s belt loop is written ‘C T Overbeck 70438296’, which seems to be a name and perhaps service number. Above this is a crossed-out name in a different hand, harder to read.
The blade has a matte grey parkerised finish other than a blued band at the ricasso, with no edge damage. The wood grips have no damage or noticeable dents. The hilt, pommel and scabbard parts all have a blued finish, this has worn in places but a dark patina matches it. Likewise the scabbard fittings, blued with some patinated wear, one very shallow dent to the chape piece. The scabbard leather is undamaged with a few minor impressions, the frog is flexible with no damage to the stitching.
