WW1 BRITISH ARMY UNIT STAMPED 303 RIFLE BAYONET SCABBARD 9th BATTALION, THE ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT

Description

Offered is an original 1915 dated Wilkinson made & 9th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment (T.F.) unit stamped First World War 1907 pattern bayonet with scabbard.

Bayonet & scabbard features steel fittings, with pommel (stamped T 9 R W K R 13) & working release button, good condition wooden grips and metal guard. The 43.5 cm long steel blade shows the ‘blood groove’ to the centre of each side of the blade and stamped Wilkinson (Wilkinson Sword of London), dated June 1915 (6 ’15). The blade being factory sharpened only, with a very good condition blade. Standard leather & metal WW1 issue scabbard, with very good leather body & worn black enamelled mouth piece & metal tip. Overall length: 57.5cm long. A very good, unit marked example, as used with the classic Short Magazine Lee–Enfield No. 1 Mk. III service rifle.

The 9th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment was raised 24th October 1914 and  was absorbed 1st September 1916 into the Training Reserve Battalions of 5th Reserve Brigade at Shoreham, so a rare unit marked bayonet, given the unit existed for less than 2 years.