War table knive WD

[Vincent]

Hi.

I look for any informations about table knives ww2 period and also which concern british makers and contracts.

Is there something already published about this subject ?

Thanks for help.

Vincent.

[magpie]

The knife could also come from a prison, hospital, government offices canteen or anywhere that used government contract supplied equipment.

[Vincent]

Hi. Magpie

Some bears WD Broad Arrow and date as the one shown in photo.

These one were found in Flanders and comes from British Expeditionnary Forces, abandonned in may 1940.

[JerryBB]

A good knife and the 1939 date makes it quite desirable for those who collect such.

I thought only War department issue items carry the WD mark, not prisons etc... whose items would have some other government contract marking on them?

[Vincent]

Hi.

There is only the mention of maker (Mappin & Webb, SSP, Gladwin Ltd) the date and WD Broad Arrow on it but I'd like to have more informations about those items made in England, most of time in Sheffield areas.

Thanks for giving any informations or website about that subject.

Vincent

[wardog]

The Broad Arrow was the Government Property Mark- Prisoners in years long gone had it all over their uniforms. I have seen it in the past on hospital fire fighting equipment and you still see General Post Office marker stones with the arrow. Best known though for its use on military equipment -W/l\D. Regards, Paul. PS Don't buy a badge with a slider marked like that.

[High Wood]

I have a few items of war time dated cutlery in my collection but for some strange reason the knives are the hardest to find. I have some Indian issued cutlery which have the broad arrow over the letter I. Others are stamped DR but I have never worked out what DR stands for. 1939 and 1940 marked examples are relatively common but 1943 and 1944 seem to be harder to find.

[Rob Miller]

I have a fork with "DR" on it, it also has "4" on the front, probably wishful thinking but I wondered if it could be from a Sergeants mess of the 4th Bn Devonshire Regiment?

Rob

[REME245]

I would say the ones you have Rob are earlier than WW2.

I always tend to check my cutlery whenever I eat in any MOD establishment as it is still possible occasionaly to find war-time cutlery still in use. My canteen at work used to have a lot of 50's dated cutlery.

[cavalryman]

Hi Guy's, I believe that D R stands for Dining Room, as in a "mess hall" then when your kit was being inspected they could see that you were a thieving little toe rag if you had any marked as such, which shouldn't have been in your possession. you have obviously lost yours so get sent to the QM to sign a p1954 for a new set of cutlery. regards john

[High Wood]

Rob,

your spoon marked Devon 5442 is of the 'fiddle back' type and is the pattern issued during the Great War. Great War cutlery is very rarely dated but has the soldier's service number and a shortened form of the regiment's title stamped on it.

Simon.

[Rob Miller]

Faintly stamped on the back is "/l\A12", could this be 1912? I have searched the national archive medal roll for 5442 Devonshire Regiment without any success.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

Originally Posted by wardog

The Broad Arrow was the Government Property Mark......

It was? Dam, so back in the 70's when Colour Sergeant Foster was on the prowl and insisting that all those bits of my kit he picked up were
his because they had his special mark on - you're saying he was fibbing?

[REMEVMBEA1]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

It was? Dam, so back in the 70's when Colour Sergeant Foster was on the prowl and insisting that all those bits of my kit he picked up were
his because they had his special mark on - you're saying he was fibbing?

Of course not , would a S Sgt lie? It was simply a terminological inexactitude.

[leigh kitchen]

Good, the thought that Colour Foster would have attempted to employ dubious means to make up kit at my expense would have dented my perception of him as "vicious but fair".