Prussian Officers Bayonet

[ccj]

Up for discussion is an "officers" bayonet. 

 

I I don't know if there really was such a thing as an officers bayonet but I know they wore bayonets with officers portepee

 

 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Very nice, i love these.

I have a WW1 era Eichhorn one, but without the saw.

Does yours have the scabbard screw on the side or the front?

Is there a maker mark?

 

Best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is mine with Eichhorn stamp from WW1 period....

[ccj]

Mine has no maker mark that I can see.

[Trajan]

 

A very nice looking piece!

 

It looks like a WR over II, and so 'Wilhelm Rex II' = Wilhelm II. I have seen some of these in photographs of senior officers and I suspect they were some kind of gift for those who gave personal service to Kaiser Bill in his role as King of Prussia. According to my notes Lubbe and Carter's book on German bayonets shows three examples, e.g. pp.132-133, a S.84/98 with a horn handle and monogram badge; also pp.182-183, a non-fixable KS 98; also pp.192-193, a fixable KS 98.

 

Carter vol.II reports that on 19th July 1915, the Prussian War Ministry ordered all regimental officers to replace their swords with S.98/05 bayonets (except for airmen and airship personnel who were allowed to carry the kS.98), the Bavarians following suit a bit later (as usual!). However, the photographic evidence suggests that many officers chose to wear a kS.98 or other short bayonet rather than a S.98/05. 

 

Trajan

Edited August 2, 2015 by Trajan
Correct spelling