Searching for my Great Great Uncles Sword -- myArmoury.com

David Elley

I wonder if anyone could point me in the proper direction as to where I would start looking for my Relatives Sword. He was a Colonel in the Kings Own Regiment and the Manchester Regiment. I have contacted both Regimental Museums and they do not know. I will add a picture of him as an attachment with his sword to help. Any ideas would be grand. I was in the Military from 1887 till 1945.

Mark Griffin · Posted: Sat 30 Jan, 2016 3:42 am Post subject:

You are looking for the specific sword he owned? That's a tall order but hey, we've just found a medieval King in a car park so you never know.... If he didn't hand it in the QM (which i feel is unlikely...it was probably presented to him to do with as he wished) then it might have been disposed of by the family upon his death which means its probably in private hands somewhere.

You might ask the National Army Museum what the drill was in such circumstances (who knows, they may even have it!)
[url]
http://www.nam.ac.uk/research
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would be your starting point.

David Cooper · Posted: Sat 30 Jan, 2016 6:47 am Post subject:

British Officers purchased their own swords so they were never 'handed in', as it were. If he died or was killed in service his possessions including sword would have been packed up and returned to his next of kin. If he retired or otherwise left the army he would have taken his sword with him, unless he sold or passed on his sword to a brother officer. Are there any other items of his in the family? His uniform or medals for example? The usual story with things like this is that they are passed on within the family until someone decides they are not worth keeping and then they are sold or just thrown away.

David Elley · Posted: Sat 30 Jan, 2016 11:06 am Post subject:

I will check the National Museum to see. I do know that his Medals are in the care of the Kings Own Regimental Museum as well as a whole Archive of his Military Career. He retired officially in 1932 with the Manchester Regiment but Was asked to re-up in 1939 to command the Home Guard during WW2. Then upon his turning 65, he retired which was 1945. I sent off an email to the Kings own Regimental Museum to find out the circumstances surrounding his medals and how they came by them. IE... Where they willed to them upon his death? But I haven't received a response as of yet. I am not sure if there are any surviving relatives from his children. At least I haven't found any yet in my quest. I have gone through the usual routes for them. I do know it could be a tall order, I might be out of luck if he did not have the sword inscribed with some identifier or had it made for him. I imagine it was just purchased. Thank you for the responses!!

Cheers,