Help with swords, please, gentlemen

[Magnus McLeod]

I was deeply interested to see Mervyn Mitton's 2009 post about his 1897 BSAP swords.  Between 1958 and 1960 I was issued with swords identical to his Wilkinson 79837 when serving in the Royal Rhodesia Regiment.  We were a Territorial Army unit, affiliated to the KRRC, and on ceremonial occasions carried standard (not Rifle Regiment) Wilkinson ER II infantry swords, but in black leather scabbards.  We drew our swords from the very small number of nearly new swords held in the Drill Hall in Salisbury, as it was.  The BSAP was in fact a brown leather outfit, with brilliantly polished brown leather boots and gaiters, belts and cap straps.  They were a mounted force, with 'troopers' rather than 'constables'.  I was once shown an officer's 1912 pattern sabre in a brown scabbard.  Sixty years on I have a great longing to own an ex-Rhodesian '97 sword in a black scabbard, with its ER II cipher intact.  Does anyone know what has become of Mervyn's examples, or of any other, that I might be able to purchase?  I would be very grateful indeed for your help.

Magnus McLeod

[peter monahan]

Magnus

Sadly, we lost Mervyn several years ago now.  He had been wheel chair bound for many years but almost to the end of his life kept a militaria shop in a city whose name, I'm ashamed to say, escapes me.  He was a very warm man and eager to help other collectors, even offering to connect my daughter with friends of his in Capetown when she moved there, though he'd never met either of us.  

Near the end he was selling off most of the stock, so, sadly, the pieces you speak of are probably somewhere in SA.  A gentleman and sadly missed on this board and in the hobby.

Peter

Edited March 10, 2018 by peter monahan

[Magnus McLeod]

Hello Peter,

How kind of you to reply!  As you can probably see, I'm new to the GMIC, and it felt a bit like putting a note in a bottle and throwing it over the side.  As you're a Moderator, may I please put a problem to you?  I am new to joining a net entity, and made up a foolishly complicated password, which the GMIC says is wrong when I try to use it.  I guess I wrote it down wrongly in my notes.  I was asked to give my location as a substitute, and was a bit surprised to see it up next to my post.  I'd like to change my password to something simpler, and, although it doesn't really matter, maybe limit my location to Kent, England.  Could you  tell me how to do this, please?  Ah, I've just noticed 'Contact Us' at the bottom of the page.  I'll try that.  Thank you again, very much indeed, for your kind reply.  

Magnus

[peter monahan]

Magnus

I'm glad you got past the 'note in a bottle' but, yes, 'Contact Us' is your best bet.  Me being one of a nuymber of Moderators is based on my having the interest, the time and the inablity to duck or go invisible when the Sergeant says 'I need a man for...' 

I am whetever the opposite of a computer geek is, so helping you change your password is  well outside my area of expertise. That siad, if the contact link doesn't pan out, PM me and I'll give it a whirl.  our illustrious leader, Nick, is 'up to his a** i n alligators' as the Yanks say and doesn't have a lot of free time and I don't even know if we have a tech wizard on call, but we'll et ti sorted. 

Again, welcome to the GMIC.

Peter

 

Edited March 12, 2018 by peter monahan

[Magnus McLeod]

Peter,

Thank you for your reply, and for your kind welcome to the GMIC.  It's my first venture onto the web.  I've avoided a web presence, and an IPhone, and all that jazz.  I'm nearly 79 and life's too short... And I'm too busy with reality.  

I must leave you in peace.  No, please could I ask another question?  I attached my post to the relevant bit of the late Mervyn Mitton's site (I think), but maybe that's not the best spot to bring my question to the attention of members interested in swords.  Do you have any advice, please?

Magnus

 

[peter monahan]

Magnus

I perfectly understand your reluctance to give up real life for the often fascinating but always artificial 'life' of the World Wide Web.  I'm afraid I have become an addict but won't share with you the embarassingly high number of hours I spend on-line in any given week.

In fact, your post probably went into the right 'drawer' for this forum but, sadly, most of our membership do not seem to have a great interest in weapons per se.  Or , if they do, they indulge it elsewhere.  You might have more luck on the 'Sword Forum International'.  http://www.swordforum.com/vb4/

I have once or twice gone there in search of esoteric info. and have had my queries responded to promptly and with good will, if not necessarily with the answers I sought.  One must register prior to posting but I recall that this was easy and quick.

Whatever you decie, good luck in the hunt!

Peter   

Edited March 13, 2018 by peter monahan

[Craig]

Email sent

[Magnus McLeod]

Craig,

Thank you again, very much indeed, for your support.

Magnus.

 

 

[Magnus McLeod]

Peter,

Thank you for your reply, and for the swordforum email address.  And for your good wishes for my hunt.  Craig has kindly sorted out my problems, so now I shall return to the charge.  I would like to make an offer to a Member who has one of the swords, and the next thing is to find out how to contact him.  I guess  attaching a post to his latest and offering my email address might be my best bet.  In case you ever want to use it, it's magnus@magnusmcleod.com

I don't spend my life on the web because I'm actually very busy.  Decided as an undergraduate that I would spend my retirement building a ship model, and began 13 years ago.  Calculated once that I was going to have to live to be 151 to finish, so I'm doing what I can to keep fit ...  But it's such fun!  Happily my wife is equally busy.  First job this morning was to go out and find some red roses for her: it's sixty years to the day since we first met.  

I must leave you in peace!

Magnus

 

[Stuka f]

Hey Magnus, people can contact you by personal message when clicking your pseudo.

It just isn't a good idea to put your email address on a public forum.

[Magnus McLeod]

Hi Stuka,

Many thanks for your advice re email addresses, and for telling me  how to get in touch with another Member.  I'm new to all this.

Magnus

[Stuka f]

No problem, my pleasure.

You must be able to erase your email address from your previous message.Otherwise you can ask a mod to do it for you.

[peter monahan]

Magnus

It sounds as if you indeed have sufficient on your plate to prevent the kind of boredom which can drivwe one to 'surfing' - the Web that is.  And I do like a man who takes the long view!  I'm sure you'll get that ship built!  

Cheers.

Peter