MARTINI HENRY BAYONET

[Mervyn Mitton]

This is an open topic and all will be very welcome to make suggestions. This is a Martini Henry bayonet - as used in the Zulu War of 1879, through to the Boer War 1899-1902 (mainly by the Boers). This has a blade 16.3/4" (43cm) which is considerably shorter than the standard blade. The scabbard appears to be original with the correct furniture - however, the possibility exists that both blade and scabbard have been shortened. The question , of course, is if this would have been because of a breakage, or, if they were using a shortened version to fight with ?

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Mervyn,

I used to collect bayonets in a big way and I don't recall anything about shortened bayonets for the purpose of fighting. At lease nothing official. If these were used by the Boers then it may have been shortened for that purpose by them. Aa interesting bayonet and I hope some of the bayonet collectors here at GMIC with more current information than my memory can add some information.

Regards

Brian

[Tony]

Are their reports of hand to hand/bayonet fighting taking place during the Boer War?

Tony

[Mervyn Mitton]

The Boers never carried bayonets. Funnily enough, bayonets for the Mauser they used - with ZAR (Zuid Afrikaans Republik) markings have been turning up in Chile. They are quite valuable.

Don't forget in WW1 very many bayonets were shortened - by both sides - to act as fighting trench knives. Only when the Fairburn Sykes commando knife was brought out for WW2 was there a dedicated fighting knife.

My thoughts were perhaps someone on horseback or, in a wagon shortened it for a hand weapon - after the 1879 Zulu War there were so many Martini Henry bayonets around that they used to line pathways with them.

[Brian Wolfe]

The Boers never carried bayonets. Funnily enough, bayonets for the Mauser they used - with ZAR (Zuid Afrikaans Republik) markings have been turning up in Chile. They are quite valuable.

Don't forget in WW1 very many bayonets were shortened - by both sides - to act as fighting trench knives. Only when the Fairburn Sykes commando knife was brought out for WW2 was there a dedicated fighting knife.

My thoughts were perhaps someone on horseback or, in a wagon shortened it for a hand weapon - after the 1879 Zulu War there were so many Martini Henry bayonets around that they used to line pathways with them.

When you say "someone" may have shortened it I take it you mean non-military personnel?

I don't think it looks like a trench weapon of the WW I period though I've seen shortened sword blades rehandled for that purpose.

Regards

Brian

[Tony]

Ah yes that right Mervyn. I now remember talking to Chris Boonzaier about the Boers and bayonets a few years back.

Tony