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On sunday I decided to take the boy to a militaria fair at Chatham Dockyard, What I was looking for was a bayonet for my 1943 SMLE dispersal rifle. After walking around the stalls looking at overpriced examples £65-125 (more than I really wanted to pay) I wasnt looking for anything special but I didnt want scrap im sure you know what I mean.
Anyway after rummaging around I found quite a nice example and asked how much it was, Ill take £60 was the reply thinking this wasnt a bad deal so I handed over my cash and walked away with a quite reasonable bayonet.
Once I had it back home I gave it a wipe over and closer inspection nothing special just a very nice bayonet as it cleaned up very well.
Now comes the interesting part tonight out comes the magnifying glass to have a look at the stamps and markings which there were quite a few, well it only turns out that is was made about the same time as my rifle (result) now looking a bit deeper it turns out that it was made for an Admiralty contract in WW11 by Wilkinson Sword, just over 87000 were made for the 50000 Lanchester machine carbines they had, turns out its a very rare bayonet with much of its original black finish :goodjob:
In comparison Wilkinson alone made over 2.6million 1907 bayonets in WW1
£60 well spent I think
Just need to find a nice bayonet fot the Smellie now :lol:

Congrats on the good find

I awhile ago found the Indian WW2 issue bayonet for the SMLE in a shop for a tenner, most go for £60+ and rising

My 1907 cost me the princely sum of one pound many many years ago, it sits in the coal scuttle to this day along with a handful of other bayonets. Probably not the best way to keep them...

I have a 1917 made Wilkinson made bayonet that goes on my 1917 Enfield made No1 mk111* every time I go to the range!

Perhaps I will try my (inert) 1916 dated No24 rifle grenade next visit.....or not, as I value my head and don't want to disappear in a cloud of wallnut splinters and steel shrapnel !! :lol:

Cheers, John.

My modest collection, one of them is a 1907. ...along with some dust.

I have to admit I did fix it to the smellie when I shot it last weekend, fantastic british cold steel at its best "they dont like it up em Mr Mannering"