AN EARLY FIRST WORLD WAR BRITISH MADE, AUSTRALIAN USED LEE ENFIELD (PATTERN 1907) BAYONET MANUFACTURED BY RSAF ENFIELD IN SEPTEMBER 1911. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CAPTURED AND RE-USED BY OTTOMAN TURKISH FORCES TO EQUIP CAPTURED BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH No.1 Mk.III SMLE RIFLES IN TURKISH SERVICE AND IS FITTED WITH AN OTTOMAN TURKISH ADAPTATION OF THE BRITISH No.1 Mk.II SCABBARD. AT SOME POINT THE HOOKED QUILLON WAS REMOVED AND IT WAS SHORTENED AND FITTED WITH A LOCALLY PRODUCED BAYONET FROG. 

This bayonet is a good example of the type designated #29-213 in Dennis D. Ottobre's excellent CD ROM reference 'Observations on Turkish Bayonets' published in 2002.  It was originally manufactured in September 1911 by the British Pattern 1907 maker; EFD (RSAF Enfield) and was issued to Australian forces and marked with an Australian D broad arrow on pommel.

This bayonet shows clear evidence of capture and re-use by the Turks during WW1 after which it was shortened and adapted, probably by Askeri Fabrika, with the removal of its original ‘hooked quillon’ although it retained its original crossguard as it was used to equip captured British and Commonwealth No.1 Mk.III SMLE Rifles.  It is fitted with a Remington made No.1 Mk.II Scabbard shortened to correspond to the blade and has the seam turned to the front as is common with these Turkish conversions. It is also fitted with a locally made leather bayonet frog.

In addition to the Australian D broad arrow ownership mark on pommel that has already been mentioned, other markings are clearly visible.  The 1907 type mark, EFD (RSAF Enfield) makers stamp and September 1911 (19/11) date stamped at the base of the blade as well as the crown and cypher of HM King George V (GR - Georgius Rex - 1911-1936).  On the other ricasso it also bears the 'broad arrow' War Department acceptance mark and the 'X' blade bending mark. It also has a unique ROYAL SMALL ARMS FACTORY (RSAF) - ENFIELD inspectors stamps of a crown over I5 over E and a ‘broad arrow’ over EFD over 5T (see picture). Interestingly, the original Australian weapon number on the crossguard has been overstamped with a turkish serial number 1511, with a painted armoury rack number 335 on the obverse grip.

In common with most cutdown Turkish bayonets, the blade tapers down to a point with a truncated fuller. This bayonet was originally equipped with a ‘Hooked Quillon’ Crossguard but the Turks removed the hooked quillon when they shortened the blade and stamped it with a post 1928 serial number 1511.  The fact that no clearance hole has been drilled into pommel indicate that this bayonet was captured prior to 1916.  In January 1916 instructions were issued to all armorer’s and manufacturers to make or add this alteration to existing bayonets and newly produced weapons.  It’s likely that this bayonet was captured from Australian Forces in the Dardanelles or during the early actions of the Mesopotamian and Palestine campaigns in 1917.  The markings, particularly the number on the crossguard, and the fact that the bayonet has been shortened indicate that this bayonet remained in Turkish service until after 1928 and was converted to M1935 specification.  For reference, I’ve attached to this listing three photographs. The first two show Australians carrying ‘hooked quillon’ Pattern 1907 Bayonets during the Gallipoli campaign. The first shows Australian soldiers dressing the head wound of an injured comrade in Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 while the second shows a ‘Digger’ giving water to a wounded Ottoman Turkish ‘Mehmet’.  On Walker's Ridge, near the Nek. The last photograph shows Australian, British and Commonwealth Prisoners of War captured by the Turks at Wadi Shellal in Palestine in June 1917.

Unlike most captured or re-used P1907 bayonets in Turkish service this bayonet was not adapted to equip the Turkish Army's 'Export Pattern' 7.65mm Mauser Rifle as it was employed with the rifle with which it was originally captured. The grip with its hooked quillon removed, no clearance hole, shortened blade and No.1 Mk.II Scabbard of this bayonet are in excellent original condition.  As already mentioned, the original Scabbard has been shortened to correspond to the blade and has the seam turned to the front as is common with these Turkish conversions.  The scabbard is fitted with a locally made dark leather frog in characteristically very good serviceable condition (see pictures). 

This is an excellent Australian used, Ottoman Turkish Captured First World War bayonet with a fascinating provenance from one of the most renowned Pattern 1907 manufacturers in very good condition: steel and wood hilt with a round steel press button and internal spring, two piece ‘bruised’ wood grips and no oil hole in the pommel, secured by two steel screw bolts, steel crossguard with the original hooked quillon removed.  Single edged shortened steel blade with round fullers, dated 9 ‘16.

Maker: Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield (EFD)

Overall Length: 370.0 mm

Blade Length:  248.0 mm

Blade Width (at guard):  25.0 mm

Scabbard: Truncated Patt.1907 No.1 Mk.II.

Overall length of scabbard:  265.0 mm

Frog:  Turkish manufactured brown leather.

A genuine First World captured, Australian used, Enfield manufactured Pattern 1907 with a fascinating provenance which is in good condition and which displays clear evidence of Ottoman Turkish use.  Many bayonets on e-bay claim a link to the campaigns in Gallipoli or Palestine but very few of these claims can be substantiated.  This Ottoman Turkish captured bayonet has a very clear provenance. Australian ownership marked and without a clearance hole, it was in all liklehood captured before the end of 1917 when this adaptation was carried out on newly manufactured and existing Australian P1907’s.  As a consequence, this P1907 must have been recovered by the Turks from the Dardanelles, or Palestine, as most P1907 bayonets captured after that date (or sourced later) would have had a clearance hole in the pommel.

This is as excellent an example of an Ottoman captured Australian marked bayonet as I have ever come across.  Captured Australian P1907’s do not come up for sale very often and are highly sought after.  This week’s ‘best on the net’, you are unlikely to come across another with this sort of provenance anytime soon.