Home Guard P07..?

[Lugerlout]

Help with this one please........Pattern 07 with what I think is a Home Guard issue leather scabbard, the scabbard is dated 1940, the pommel of the bayonet is marked for the 'Highland Light Infantry'...............two marks that I cant be sure of.....the scabbard is marked 'HGR 5' with a very clear 'W' stamped over.......is HGR for Home Guard Regiment or does it refer to its earlier life with the H.L.I.

The back of the frog seems to be stamped 16 1/2....anyone know what this refers to....???

Phil.

[Richie B]

HGR = Hepburn Gale and Ross, leather equipment manufacturers of Bermondsey South London. Traded under this name between 1901 and 1920.

BHG = Barrow Hepburn & Gale. Successor company formed in 1920 - traded to the 1970s.

[harryamb2]

they don't like it up-em.lol

[Jim P]

Great bayo from the 71st Foot! Love the home guard frog as well, but I don't know what the 16 1/2 indicates, probably a manufactures mark I assume. An interesting P07 that saw use in two world wars.

Jim

[USNV5]

The leather P39 frog is certainly Home Guard issue, the bayonet may or may not have been issued to there. The No.1 MkIII Rifle was issued to the Home Guard but was still a first line rifle to British forces, but after loses at Dunkirk it was limited in it's availability and saw more use with regular forces and it's availability to the Home Guard was low. The P14 and US M1917 rifles were more common issue to the HG and this bayonet does not fit that rifle. Once production of the Rifle No. 4 was up and running at full speed, the Rifle No. 1 became available for issue to the HG, but that was not until late 1943, early 1944. So, depending on time, you could say maybe, but maybe not. I personally think the HG frog and this No.1 bayonet came together relatively recently.

[Lugerlout]

Thank You to you all for your opinions and observations, I know a lot more about this particular bayonet now, your interest and input is greatly appreciated.