WWII Australian Pattern 1907 Lee-Enfield Bayonet

[ColonelKlink1942]

Hey gang,

Where I forgot to mention that my Pattern 1853 socket bayonet was the first bayonet I ever purchased and owned, I won't forget with this one. This is the second bayonet I have ever purchased and owned. Bear with me, the condition is not the best, but it was all that was available for me at the time.

 

I bought it as a placeholder until I could find a better one. I found one in June 2024, and I'll post about it as time goes on.

Back in November of 2022, I purchased this bayonet because I recognized it as a Pattern 1907. The seller told me that he thought it had a service history with India, but when I did research of my own, the markings turned out to be Australian. Initially, I thought it was Canadian, with "OA" meaning "Ontario Arsenal/Artillery", which doesn't appear to exist. This bayonet was manufactured at the Orange Arsenal in Australia and was from a batch produced in August of 1943 ("8 43"). The scabbard has matching arsenal markings, but that's all I can really see. I have not found any unit markings or serial numbers on this bayonet yet. Maybe it was in service with India, or there was an Australian presence in India at the time, but I have no concrete evidence to support that.

Despite what looks like wood filler covering where the grip screws would be/are, and the fact that the blade was sharpened with a grinder or something later, the grips aren't flush with the handle, and the bayonet pommel is missing the press button, and spring, this is a neat piece that's honestly in nice shape.