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Antique French M1874 Gras bayonets fireside tools - exhibited at the Samlesbury Hall WWI exhibition 2014 - 2021

The last of the French sword-type bayonets, the Gras was manufactured from 1874 to 1886 to fit the Model 1874 Gras infantry rifle used by the French army from the 1870s through the early 20th century. It has a solid brass pommel with a push-button / spring-steel latch, walnut grips and steel crossguard comprising muzzle-ring and hooked 'blade-breaker' quillon with ball terminal. The blade is T-shaped in section and is designed as a thrusting weapon, usually engraved on the top flat side in a flowing script style with the name of the arsenal, month, and year of manufacture. The 1874 Gras bayonet has a colourful history, in use during the French wars of the period including French Indo-China, Conquest of Chad, Moroccan War and early WWI, ultimately bowing out to the improved Lebel rifle with its smokeless ammunition.

So what happens to unwanted Gras bayonets? Simply turn them into quirky fireside tools... upcycling really can be fun! Bannerman's military surplus store in New York, having bought a truck load of them, thought it was a great idea. Gras bayonet fireplace companion sets (originally supplied with a stand which was also constructed from these bayonets) were sold in the US throughout the 1920s/30s. These three great examples comprise:

Fire tongs - engraved: Manufacture d'Armes de St. Etienne Juillet 1878 and Manufacture d'Armes de Chat(ellerault) 7 8 1877

Fireside poker - engraved: Manufacture d'Armes de St. Etienne Juillet 1875

Fireside shovel - engraved: Manufacture d'Armes de St. Etienne Juillet 1875

Now not often encountered, these are in good 'used' condition overall, the steel blades have varying degrees of staining resulting from surface corrosion and use at the fireside. Some minor dings to the brass work and minor bruising to the woodwork. All the push-button latches work perfectly.

Overall length (longest): 68.5cm £240.00 + £12.95 P&P UK

NB. No doubt one of the kings of military surplus, Francis Bannerman was born in Scotland in 1851, and emigrated with his parents to America at the age of three, settling in Brooklyn, New York. The family began a military surplus business in 1865, purchasing surplus equipment at the end of the American Civil War. So began the creation of one of the biggest and most famous retail / mail order businesses specialising in weapons, uniforms and equipment including not only a vast array of small arms and artillery pieces, but also the live ammunition to go with it. The massive store at 501 Broadway opened in 1897 and their mail order catalogue soon expanded to 300 illustrated pages, fast becoming a reference for collectors. The rise and fall of the Bannerman empire is well worth a look online.

8th Army Old Comrades Association letter rack / desk tidy

Quite charming in its simplicity with vertically drilled holes for pens and pencils, this functional handmade desk tidy has probably been put together utilising ‘upcycled’ timber. Mounted on the front is believed to be a car grill / bumper badge, no doubt an uncommon item in itself.

Surely a one-off, this is in overall good condition, with just minor tarnishing to the chrome bezel. The badge has been ‘pinned’ to the timber via the manufactured mounting holes and is ever so slightly loose.

NB. Formed from the Western Desert Force in September 1941, the 8th Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during WWII, famously fighting Rommel in North African at Tobruk and El Alamein, eventually leading to the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy.

H:10 x W:23.4 x D:8cm £28.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Trench Art inkwell stand

WWI era military officer’s 'swan necked' box spurs mounted on a hand formed (3.5cm deep) laminated wooden base with a milled chamfered recess, no doubt to hold an inkwell. The numerals have been created simply by utilising a hot metal bar and tube to stamp into the wood. The top and sides have been varnished, the base has traces of varnish and some staining. Faded pencil handwriting notes where a previous owner purchased this item, but only the word ‘bought’ is readable. Good overall condition with just a few very minor edge chips.

NB. Box spurs utilise a long metal bar, almost as a continuation of the neck which fits into a correspondingly shaped recess or 'box' in the the base of the boot heel and dispenses with the need for leather fixing straps.

L:23 x W:7.5 x D: 4.5cm £25.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Rif War Trench Art vase - French 75mm shell case

Front detail: Souvenir. DU MAROC 1926 with crescent and five-pointed star allied to the symbol of The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif, set within a laurel wreath. NB. Note crescent and star on the turret of the tank.

Reverse: image of the Renault FT (FT-17) light tank (the first production tank to have its armament within a fully rotating turret).

A shell case from the French 75mm quick firing field gun (adopted in 1898), dated 18 (1918) on the base, together with various markings including Ln (Parc d'Artillerie de Place de Lyon) which has been crossed through.

The vast majority of Trench Art is of course associated with WWI, particularly in the form of decorative shell cases, and at a glance this example could easily be mistaken for such an item.

However, it's significance can only be fully appreciated when events beginning in the late 1800s leading to the Rif War (1921 - 1926) between Spain (later assisted by France) against the Berber tribes of the North Moroccan region of the Rif are fully explored. Much information can be found online - Wikipedia and Morocco World News are good starting points.

The Rif War came about simply as a result of one country imposing itself on a neighbour in order to gain both prestige as a world power and with a further incentive of access to lucrative high grade iron ore which could be obtained easily and cheaply through open pit mining which caused considerable environmental damage and displaced the native people. For centuries the Berber tribes had lived independent lives in beautifully unspoilt areas of "crimson mountains and peaceful green valleys" and as they received no share of the profits, the Rifians soon began to oppose the mining in their territory. Capably led by Abd el-Krim, the Berber tribesmen who had a long tradition of fierce fighting skills, and high standards of fieldcraft and marksmanship decided that enough was enough and began to show their displeasure and strongly resisted the Spanish. In an attempt to control the situation a large Spanish force commenced an offensive into Northeastern Morocco and were attacked and destroyed - now referred to as 'The Disaster of Annual' 22nd July 1921 - a date that is remembered to this day in Spain.

And so started a full scale war (Spain was joined by France in 1924) which is also sadly remembered for the first widespread and indiscriminative use of chemical weapons (by Spain) in the post-WWI era and also the most vile atrocities inflicted by both Spanish and French soldiers on captured Moroccans.

A rare example, in great overall condition with pleasing patination and minor traces of old polish.

Height: 34cm

£170.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

WWI Trench Art letter opener - SOUVENIR ROUBAIX

Archetypal letter opener utilising a deactivated 8mm Mauser rifle cartridge and a piece of scrap brass formed into a blade. This is a particularly interesting example however, as Roubaix, a city in Northern France on the Belgian border, was occupied by the German Army from 14th October 1914 until 17th October 1918, during which time the inhabitants were subjected to immense hardships and deprivations, many becoming 'volunteer' workers in the service of the occupying forces. As all supply lines to the city had been cut and all materials commandeered, the survival of the civilian population relied entirely on the goodwill of Dutch and American charitable institutions. These 'terrible four years' are commemorated by a war memorial on Boulevard Leclerc. NB. Cycling enthusiasts will know that Paris - Roubaix is one of the oldest and most testing professional road cycling races in the world, defined by the brutal cobbled sections of northern France. First run in 1896, it was suspended only for the two world wars and COVID.

There are some minor impact marks to the headstamp but the detail remains reasonably clear. S67 - Model S case made by Spandau, 67 the percentage copper. Dated 1917. The primer has been removed.

Overall length: 17cm

£22.00 + £3.05 P&P UK

WWII Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E) spills holder

With applied R.E.M.E collar badge, first pattern 1942 - 1947. Made from a conical artillery shell fuse cover which protected the fuse when in transit. The cone was simply cut in half, the narrowest end turned upside down and brazed into the lower half. This could then be used by the fireplace for holding wooden spills to transfer a flame to light a candle or pipe for example. Overall good used vintage condition with only very minor dings and knocks.

During the early years of WWII, it became clear that manpower dedicated to repairing the huge levels of equipment in each theatre of war was woefully lacking, thus the R.E.M.E was formed in 1942, soon becoming a vital combat corps operating front line repair workshops. After the war, R.E.M.E Major Ivan Hirts was put in charge of rebuilding the Volkswagon factory which became a R.E.M.E. repair depot and famously re-started production of the Beetle car.

H:5 x Dia:6.2cm

£14.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Trench Art vase - French 75mm shell case dated 1916

Exhibit from Samlesbury Hall WWI exhibition 2014 - 2021.

A cut down shell case from the French 75mm quick firing field gun (adopted in 1898) dated 16 (1916) on the base, together with: A.RS (Atelier de Construction de Rennes).

This holly branch theme with nicely depicted leaves and berries is clearly the work of a gifted artist, and has a striking three-dimensional and almost sculptural form. Of course holly has long been used simply to decorate homes in winter, but Christian symbolism, Celtic mythology and ancient folklore all give the simple holly branch greater significance.

An unusual example in great overall condition with pleasing patination and minor traces of old polish.

Height: 29cm

£45.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Trench Art vase - French 75mm shell case dated 1916

Exhibit from Samlesbury Hall WWI exhibition 2014 - 2021.

A cut down shell case from the French 75mm quick firing field gun (adopted in 1898), with 16 (1916) stamped on the base, together with the following: A.RS (Atelier de Construction de Rennes) and Ln (Parc d'Artillerie de Place de Lyon).

This unusual and well executed example depicts the fable of the wolf and the crane. The wolf having a bone painfully stuck in its throat begged the other animals to remove it for a reward. There being no other volunteers the crane came forward and having put his beak down the wolf's throat managed to retrieve the bone. "So, where's my reward?" the crane asked. The wolf replied " You have put your head inside a wolf's mouth and taken it out again safely, that ought to be reward enough for you".

Overall great condition with pleasing patination.

Height: 20cm

£40.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Commemorative plaque - Sgt. Snow, Worcestershire Regiment (also served Sherwood Foresters), Berlin 1949

Sergeant Frederick Snow was a professional soldier who served with the Sherwood Foresters before transferring to the Worcestershire Regiment which, Post War, were stationed in Berlin. Tensions during this period were particularly high owing to the Soviet blockade and their efforts at intrusion into the Western sector. In 1949, having quashed any Soviet attempts on their sector, the regiment moved to Göttingen three days after the Berlin Blockade had been lifted. Accompanying this plaque is a photocopied newspaper cutting from November 1988 which covers a remembrance ceremony attended by the Queen Mother to which Sgt. Snow's widow had been invited. It makes specific reference to Cpl. (corrected in pencil by a family member to SGT.) Frederick Snow, stating that he joined the army in 1931 and fought in India, took part in the D-Day landings and guarded prisoners at Spandau Prison.

This plaque is quite a feat of workmanship, the individual elements have all been cut out of wood and hand painted before being applied to the shield base. There is some very minor damage and paint loss as can be seen. The 'Berlin' scroll has swivelled out of position owing to the loss of a fixing nail and has been left exactly as found.

Obtained direct from the family. H:23 x W:18.4 x D:3cm £45.00 + £4.69 P&P UK

Hand painted plaque - Royal Army Pay Corps

Granted the title ’Royal’ at the end of WWI in recognition of its valuable service, the Royal Army Pay Corps deals with every kind of pay and allowance to all ranks, their wives, families and dependants. A far cry from the days of the Peninsular War when their forerunners, the Paymasters, hauled boxes of gold coins all over Spain. This is a beautifully painted wooden plaque that has not had the respect it deserves with minor edge knocks and loss of finish to varnish on corners and edges. The artwork though, remains bright and is in very good condition with just two or three minor surface scratches (not immediately noticeable). The original suspender has been removed and replaced with side mounting brackets.

H:24.5 x W:24 x D:2cm £28.00 + £4.45 P&P UK

Carved wooden plaque - 34 Bomber Squadron RAF

Reverse: To the best ground staff I have worked with 34 Squadron May 1945 from F/O A.G. Webb RAAF

Badge: In front of an increscent, a wolf passant. Lupus vult, lupus volant - wolf wishes, wolf flies. Worthy of further research, this is an impressively large item In good vintage condition apart from a small section of wood missing from top right corner of scroll. Originally fixed to a batten - note screw holes and area of unstained wood on reverse.

Formed in 1916, 34 Squadron was disbanded after WWI, reforming in 1935. In 1939 it went to Singapore, remaining until Japan entered the war in 1941. After two months of continuous action suffering heavy losses, it ceased to exist as a fighting unit and ground staff were evacuated to India. In April 1942 No.34 reformed at Chakrata with Blenheim IVs and carried out bombing raids on Japanese bases in Burma until April 1943. Converting to Hurricanes, fighter-bomber operations continued until March 1945, the squadron advancing deep into Burma. Hurricanes were replaced by P-47 Thunderbolts, mainly flying ground attack missions until the end of the war.

H:63.5 x W:52 x D:2.5cm
£225.00 + £30.00 P&P UK