rorkesdriftvc.com Forum Index


rorkesdriftvc.com
Discussions related to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879
Reply to topic
Kit .
Sapper Mason


Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 333
Location: ANGLESEY
Reply with quote
Smile ,
As ever i am in debt to those with greater knowledge than i would ever achieve , i am aware that i still need some RE kit to be 100 % CORRECT at dedications .

I still require a Sappers & Miners ( sword - bayonet ) saw - toothed on the top edge including sword - grip handle .

A pill box hat ( to fit my large cranium ( big ed ! )

A Lancaster carbine ( RE )

Home service helmet ( RE ) with brass work .

I realise such beasts are very rare indeed but who knows ? , are such items out there i wonder ? , let me know , " Sapper " . Cool
View user's profileSend private message
Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
Reply with quote
Sapper,
One can only be struck dumb by the depth of your dedication to re-enacting. If I were to see you in full kit, what year would we be in? Indeed, Lancaster carbines are about, but they're VERY rare (as you are already aware) and consequently extremely pricey. The "Lancaster" bayonet is more common-- Ian Skennerton states that it has probably the highest survival rate of any British bayonet (I'm assuming he means as a percentage of the total manufactured), but as these were never made with a sawback (to my knowledge), I'm a bit vague as to what bayonet you are referring to. I guess the "bottom line" of this somewhat rambling entry is that the sawbacked "Sapper and Miners" bayonet doesn't fit on a Lancaster carbine and the correct bayonet for that firearm wasn't manufactured with a sawback.
View user's profileSend private message
Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
Reply with quote
Sapper

As Sawubona pointed out, Lancaster carbines are difficult to find -

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/2/PERCUSSION/12/500148.htm

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a.577-two-band-lancaster-sappers-miners-percu-1-c-59jx0xaio7
[no picture]

The above are of course the percussion models. I have been unable to find any photos of the Lancaster breech-loading carbine which Lancaster developed in 1861 but seems to have been superseded by the Snider conversion (the Lancaster Sappers and Miners were actually the first converted) and was general issue up to the late 1880s. (Anyone please feel free to correct me, I haven't come across that much information on the Lancaster carbine.). You may have to settle for a Snider carbine (not nearly as rare).

[For those anoraks amongst us, Charles Lancaster brought out the first true centre fire cartridge in 1852.]

[As an aside for anyone interested in some good photos of a Westley Richards Monkey Tail carbine -

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/4/PERCUSSION/36/107933.htm ]

If the bayonet you're looking for is the P-1879 Artillery then you can find one here -

http://www.ima-usa.com/product_info.php/cPath/29_61/products_id/1492?osCsid=203e3f7bbcf51ab8903dc84f50615110

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/1/BAYONET/BRITAIN/5/109245.htm [Great photos!]

An actual engineers saw back(?) (will disappear tomorrow) -

http://cgi.ebay.com/LARGE-British-SAW-BACK-ENGINEERS-SWORD-BAYONET_W0QQitemZ250307075018QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250307075018

If you're looking for an actual Lancaster bayonet -

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/1/BAYONET/BRITAIN/1/109719.htm

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/2/BAYONET/BRITAIN/19/103190.htm

For the pill-box hat and home service helmet (page 2) (although the pill-box would require the help of a good seamstress to alter to your purposes, not a good thing when dealing with antiques!) -

http://militaryantiques.co.uk/showpagec.ihtml?cat=303

Best

Michael
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 1179
Reply with quote
MIchael,
OK, whats an "anorak"? Thanks for the links to some nice pix of the bayonets. M. Long has some outstanding offerings (although he does ask and receive top dollar).
As you can see, Sapper, that particular sawbacked bayonet is for the Martini Henry carbine while neither of Long's Lancasters has a sawback. The pictured Lancaster bayonets are actually only moderately rare. They continued in service well past the demise of the Lancaster as a short sword, particularly with the Royal Army Medical Corp. I've one marked RMAC that I acquired from a South African who said that it was "picked up" at AmaJuba, which I'm inclined to believe although I'm typically skeptical of such things since he claimed to have no clue what AmaJuba was. Lancaster scabbards are another item entirely however and worth mucho dollars. Mine is in a theater made one that bears no resemblance to the official issued one and the grips are actually hand crafted wood as well, and although very nicely made are obviously replacements for the original pressed leather ones.
View user's profileSend private message
Simon Rosbottom


Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 287
Location: London, UK
Reply with quote
In this context, it means a "geek."

A derogotary slang term derived from the heavy jackets that train spotters wear whilst standing on the ends of a railway platform, clutching their thermos flasks whilst writing down train numbers. It refers to anyone with a unusually detailed interest in something.

e.g. an outside observer might term the contributors to this forum as "Zulu War anoraks."

_________________
Simon
View user's profileSend private message
Thanks
Sapper Mason


Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 333
Location: ANGLESEY
Reply with quote
Smile , Greetings ,
Just to say thank you to all those trying to assist in me getting the CORRECT KIT AS A RE-ENACTOR , i admit to being somewhat of the aforesaid , " anorak " in the Zulu war scene , part of the reason for being too keen at times i guess ( ? ) , i do get conflicting advice at times but hopefully at the end of the day will turn out as close if not perfect as the man i am trying to portray . The cost of obtaining ALL the correct kit is scary and i doubt if i`ll ever get an " RE bayonet " and Lancaster carbine , i have the 19 inch curved bayonet which it would appear is OK ( in some eyes at least ! ) . My buttons are RE which would please a certain gent in Crownhill whose passion is buttons as a lot of you know . I am trying to get a smaller head or larger pill box hat , have one but really need a bigger one and so it goes on , thanks again for your input , " Sapper " Wink
View user's profileSend private message
Kit .
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All times are GMT  
Page 1 of 1  

  
  
 Reply to topic