Rare No.5 Mk1, Type II bayonet for the No.5 Mk 1 Lee Enfield. Mk1, Type I bayonets had only a single screw through the grip scales and are incredibly rare.
The No.5 rifle had a shorter barrel and was lighter in weight, purposely made for airborne troops in the European theatre of World War II. Despite its initial purpose, the No.5 carbine saw most of its service in post war colonial conflicts such as the Malayan Emergency, earning it the nickname “Jungle Carbine.”
Production of the No.5 bayonet began in March 1944, and finished in December 1947. Four companies were initially contracted to produce the No.5 bayonet.
Wilkinson Sword Company, London made 188,354; Viners Ltd., Sheffield produced 42,000; Radcliffe made 75,000 and Elkington & Co. Ltd., Birmingham produced 10,768. An unknown, but small number were produced post WWII by the Royal Ordnance Factory in Poole, Dorset.
This bayonet is one of the rarer Poole made No.5’s, made in 1946.
The 203mm clip-point Bowie blade has a single edge and long single fuller below the rounded spine. The blade is in good condition and has been service sharpened. The blade has a scratch along one edge (that will polish out) and marks consistent with age and use. The ricasso retains most of its original black finish and is stamped with the Poole factory mark, a P within a circle and the date 1946.
The wrap around wooden grips are in good used condition and are held tightly in place by two screws, one of which bears a tiny, faint Broad Arrow stamp. The blackened steel pommel bears a Broad Arrow stamp over F5 and the letter P at the front of the mortice slot. The press stud mechanism is in good working order and is stamped with a tiny Broad Arrow and the letter S.
The bayonet is complete with an original, early issue MkI scabbard. The scabbard throat is flush with the body of the scabbard and the bottom of the scabbard is more pointed than the later MkII scabbards. The round frog stud is stamped with the letter P and the scabbard retains most of its original black finish. The bayonet is held securely within the scabbard.
This is a clean and honest example of a rare British No.5 Jungle Carbine bayonet.
