Canada 'Modified' Ross Rifle bayonet

[peter monahan]

Picked up an interesting item in T.O. today: Ross Rifle bayonet, no scabbard and 'modified'. It is standard length, etc, has all the right marks: proofed, C- broad arrow, 4/13 date stamp.

However, the locking catch is gone and the holes, plus the groove on top of the hilt have been filled in with melted lead. Done fairy neatly but then both blade and hilt filed, the blade to sharpen it. On the pommel, a lot of metal has been filed away, I think to remove the unit identifying marks.

I wonder whether this is a post service private project or whether somebody decided to make himself a trench knife with a nice heavy handle and no embarrassing QM stamps on it. Anyone ever heard of such a thing before?

Edited January 13, 2014 by peter monahan

[peter monahan]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-697-0-85182000-1389585937.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-697-0-77893600-1389585973.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-697-0-22812200-1389586034.jpg

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Peter,

I've owned one of these in the past and they were indeed modified for use as a trench knife. Considering the number of these that used to be around I would think there was some sort of official involvement either in supplying numbers to the troops for modification or government modification. My bet woud be on "in the field" modification.

Thanks for posting this very nice and hard to find item.

Regards

Brian

[Chris Boonzaier]

Would it not be a bit dangerous to damage Govt property in the field?

[peter monahan]

Chris

That's pretty clearly why someone invested a lot of sweat in filing down the hilt so that there is no trace discernible of any unit marks! "Dunno, sir. Found it lying in a trench. Just like this. Honest, sir!'

[Brian Wolfe]

The Ross rifle was discarded early in the war in favour of the Lee Enfield and along with it the bayonets. These became surplus equipment and therefore available for modification. There are many examples of shortened Lee Enfield bayonets used as trench raid knives as well suggesting that "found" weapons were fair game for modicication. Modifying your issued bayonet would be taboo of course. Even entrenching shovels were sharpened for use as battle axes when on trench raids. I would also think that these modifications may have been undertaken by the armourer in the field to supply the soldiers' needs.

For such a "modern" war at the time there was a lot of brutal Medieval technology in use.

Regards

Brian

[peter monahan]

Brian

You're probably right. On closer examination, the ground down hilt also fights more snugly in the hand than the original configuration, so quite possibly a regimental / base armoury modification. That would explain the nice little touch with the melted lead as well - not perhaps so easy or likely for a bored private to manage easily in bivouac or the lines.

[Michael Johnson]

I have a book on Canadian bayonets produced back in the 1970s that states that United Cigar Stores bought a lot of Ross bayonets, ground off the locking spring and barrel ring, and re-cut the edge to a bowie shape. They were sold after the Second World War as hunting knives. And having owned several Ross bayonets 40 years ago, they take a marvellous edge, and have good weight.

Your example lacks the bowie point, so I doubt it is one of these, unless the point was reground. I'm away from my sources, so I couldn't tell you whether the current blade length is shorter.

Michael

Edited February 24, 2014 by Michael Johnson

[peter monahan]

Sorry, should have revisited this post. I've discovered that apparently a number of the Ross bayonets were officially or semi-officially converted to trench knives - probably in regimental armourers' shops - as a useful way of recycling bayonets for a withdrawn weapon.

[Michael Johnson]

Of course the Ross III was shipped in some numbers to the U.K. in 1940 to arm the Home Guard.

Michael