In good condition, a 1908P WW1 British 8th Hussars Trooper’s Wilkinson Sword
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Matching regiment, etc. numbers to hilt and scabbard; “8H. 466” for 8th Hussars, weapon 466. In March 1917 the 8th Hussars cavalry / mounted charged German machine gun positions in Villers-Faucon, overran the Germans and captured the village.
The blade dated November 1911 (11 11). The brown Dermatine grip has been period blackened to match the regiment’s earlier Gryphonite grips. Dermatine and Gryphonite are often wrongly described as / mistaken for Bakelite. Black Gryphonite was replaced in 1909 for brown Dermatine due to supply and spiraling cost issues. As Dermatine is slightly lighter than Gryphonite, these 1908 pattern sword had to be rebalanced when manufactured.
The front bowl guard is later period engraved “-E-May-Chapman-Lieut-“, but there was no Lieut E May Chapman in the 8th Hussars or anywhere else as far as our research shows. So, given the sword and scabbard have matching markings, the obvious explanation is that a trooper by that name was gifted his sword and brought it home to give his friends and family some “large”, or maybe a trooper was promoted but we can not find any reference to this.
The period sharpened 35 inch blade is in very good condition, a few patina patches but not large nor many, and is firm in the hilt. The hilt / guard with wear a few slight dents and inert rust patches. The grip is in good condition though the black is wearing thin to shown the brown Dermatine. The scabbard looks like it has been through the wars with dents (riding dents) galore. The sword sheathes and draws loosely, so the scabbard’s internal wooden lining slats have gone.
Plenty of research potential! This sword may well once have impaled an unfortunate German soldier in March 1917. What a bargain; £1000. Please quote item reference AG39. Further / full sized images available upon request. Box 1426-124x22x20 (3.108).
