Sword collection - Stolen.

[Atlantia]

The following is appearing on various forums reproduced from here (http://www.tokenpublishing.com/news.asp?gid=14&nid=776).
Be wary of swords from unusual sources at this time of treating ourselves. Lets all hope this impressive collection can be reunited with it's rightful owner:


A recently burglary (December 16th) saw an extensive collection stolen so if any reader is offered any of the following swords please do get in touch with Andy Griffin of the Metropolitan Police - on 02082462655


Regiment: Irish Guards Monarch: George V Original recipient: H A O'Farrell No: 54665


Irish Guards George V B S Close 53785

RAF Edward VIII PB Chamberlain - Cranwell Sword of Honour 65568

RAF George V EB Webb - Cranwell Sword of Honour 60582

RAF George V MP Skinner - Cranwell Sword of Honour 65208

1st Life Guards State Sword Victoria Earl of Warwick 37836

Royal Horse Guards State Sword Edward VII CEA Phillips 41993

1st Royal Dragoons Heavy Cavalry 1887/1896 Tidswell 38824

6th Dragoon Guards Special Regimental Pattern Sadler 39335

16th Lancers Light Cavalry 3 Bar Hilt Russell 33043

17th Lancers Heavy Cavalry 1887/96 Fowler - Sandhurst Sword of Honour 43267

18th Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96 Hetherington 41748

3rd Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96 Gilroy 36356

4th Hussars Heavy Cavalry 1887/96 Bibby 42831

1912 Pattern 4th Hussars Greville 43585

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars RV Garton 58092

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars BO Hutcheson 54645

1912 Special Pattern 10th Hussars AEJ Duveen 62393

1912 Special Pattern Royal Horse Guards K Fenwick 44670

1912 Pattern 21st Lancers RA Maybery 44306

1912 Special Pattern 6th Dragoon Guards JA Paton 56277

1912 Pattern 1st Life Guards VA Cazalet 49831

Royal Artillery Victoria RH Wallace 13101

Royal Artillery Victoria Armitage - Woolwich Sword of Honour 22847

Royal Artillery CH Wallace 40919

Royal Artillery George V Keenlyside 61522

Royal Artillery George V JE Upton 64395

Scottish Field Officers, Camerons George V Pringle-Pattison 65168

Scottish Field Officers, HLI Victoria Ronaldson 31162

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Sandilands - Royal Scots Fusiliers 62914

Scottish Basket Hilt George V JM Marshall - Seaforth Highlanders 63857

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Forbes - Cameron Highlanders 64892

Scottish Basket Hilt George VI Corbett, Lord Rowallan - Royal Scots Fusiliers 67808

Scottish Basket Hilt George V Henson - Kings Own Scottish Borderers 65467

Scottish Basket Hilt Edward VIII WD Clark - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 65882

Scottish Cross Hilt Edward VIII P Fitzgerald O'Connor - Highland Light Infantry 66119

1912 Pattern George V Nelson - 8th Royal Irish Hussars 64308

1912 Pattern Edward VIII Pilkington - 7th Hussars 65748

1912 Pattern Edward VIII (EIR) Pratt - Guides Cavalry 65838

1912 Pattern George VI TM Bell - 4th/7th Dragoon Guards 66260

1912 Pattern George VI RH Webb - The Queens Bays 68095

1912 Pattern George VI Renton - 17th/21st Lancers 68025

1912 Pattern George VI Milford-Cottam - Cheshire Yeomanry 68503

Grenadier Guards Victoria Quilter 34965

Coldstream Guards Edward VII Chinnery 41881

Coldstream Guards George V Moody 62951

Welsh Guards George V Upjohn (Levee Sword) 53330

Infantry 1892 Pattern Victoria CP Porch 31873

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria JAP Manson 33305

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria TC Hincks 32989

Infantry 1895 Pattern Victoria WD Wright VC 33674

Infantry 1895 Pattern Indian Army Victoria RC Gilchrist 35129

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Victoria DRG Oliver 37600

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VII JGL Ranking - Sandhurst, Anson Memorial Sword 39664

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII HC Bridges 40840

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII HL Skrine 41744

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII GB Legard 42362

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V GP Legard - Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 43937

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V RF Morkill 43268

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V EE Calthrop - Woolwich Sword of Honour 43099

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JP Fullerton 44415

Infantry 1897 Pattern Victoria LE Charlton 36109

Infantry 1897 Pattern Victoria RET St John - Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 37745

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Gordon - Sandhurst Prize Sword for Drill 43187

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Crawford - Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 58935

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Laing - Sandhurst Prize Sword for History 60839

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V North - Sandhurst Prize Sword for 63344

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Wigham - Sandhurst Prize Sword for 59269

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Charlton 63480

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Harding 65048

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JP Manson 62587

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V PB Manson 64962

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Nicholson 65218

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Passy 65975

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Bussell 66033

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VIII Ward 65702

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VIII (EIR) Hooper 65817

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army Edward VIII (EIR) Downie 65850

Royal Army Service Corps George V Anon 49032

Royal Army Service Corps George VI Horton 67777

Infantry 1897 Pattern Edward VII Briscoe - Royal Marine Light Infantry 41550

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Snow - Royal Marine Prize Sword 65556

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Everett - Woolwich Sword of Honour 41151

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V Fairlie - Sandhurst Prize Sword for High Aggregate 59556

Rifle Regiments George V St George - Gurkhas 42982

Rifle Regiments George V Nepean - Gurkhas 60035

Rifle Regiments Edward VIII (EIR) Christie - Gurkhas 65868

Rifle Regiments George V Consett - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 62428

Rifle Regiments George V Sweeny - Royal Ulster Rifles 66251

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V Hill - Sandhurst Sword of Honour 63073

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Skewes-Cox 67829

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Van Der Gutch - Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Special Pattern 66256

Infantry 1897 Pattern George VI Barker 67566

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George VI Snell - Gurkhas 68016

Infantry 1897 Pattern Elizabeth II Metcalfe - Sandhurst Prize Sword 80767

Mameluke George VI Fraser - Lord Lieutenants Sword 68020

Mameluke George V Hamilton - Moore - General Officers Sword 59234

Mameluke Victoria Weldon - ADC's Sword 33603

Honourable Artillery Company - Infantry Pattern George V Bluett 50357

Honourable Artillery Company - Artillery Pattern George VI Harrap 67805

Rifle Regiments Cameronians Special Pattern George V Drew 42803

Rifle Regiments George V Mackay - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 64371

Rifle Regiments George V Bourke - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 43853

Rifle Regiments George V Downes - Rifle Brigade 42120

Rifle Regiments George V Hastings - Rifle Brigade 66986

Infantry 1897 Pattern Indian Army George V JHD Parkin 58253

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V JM Pyne - Sandhurst Prize Sword for Physical Training 61800

Infantry 1897 Pattern George V DK McLouglin - Royal Engineers 64857

Royal Navy Victoria RM Groves (Claymore Blade) 38657

Royal Navy Victoria HD Briggs 35190

Royal Navy Victoria HD Briggs - Midshipmans Naval Dirk unnumbered

Royal Navy George V EC Cordeaux 44404

Royal Navy George VI RH Hobart 64880

Royal Navy George V AR Mollison (in brown leather field service scabbard) 47320

Royal Engineers Special Pattern Brass Hilt Victoria JC MacGregor - Woolwich Sword of Honour 15729

Infantry 1874 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Victoria S Humphery - Sandhurst Prize Sword 22150

Infantry 1874 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Victoria J Penny - Indian Medical Service 30575

Infantry 1892 Pattern Brass Gothic Hilt Edward VII RP Bond - Royal Army Medical Corps 38782

[cannonmn]

Thanks for posting this. I think either the site linked isn't used to posting thefts or else the standards for such are different from here in the US. Here, the media attempt to get in as many details of the theft as they can get from the police, the location, organization of person from whom stolen, time of day if known, details of how thief accessed the items, etc. The details increase reader interest and may occasionally cause someone in the neighborhood to recall something which will be important to solving the crime. The owner or police also often offer a reward for information leading to recovery or arrest, and believe me this helps in these hard times. A mere $1000. reward offer was responsible for the recovery of a valuable Spanish bronze cannon worth perhaps 20 times that, stolen in Detroit, MI area recently, from a friend of mine. The cannon was recovered undamaged after being missing for only a few weeks, with no damage

[Atlantia]

Thanks for posting this. I think either the site linked isn't used to posting thefts or else the standards for such are different from here in the US. Here, the media attempt to get in as many details of the theft as they can get from the police, the location, organization of person from whom stolen, time of day if known, details of how thief accessed the items, etc. The details increase reader interest and may occasionally cause someone in the neighborhood to recall something which will be important to solving the crime. The owner or police also often offer a reward for information leading to recovery or arrest, and believe me this helps in these hard times. A mere $1000. reward offer was responsible for the recovery of a valuable Spanish bronze cannon worth perhaps 20 times that, stolen in Detroit, MI area recently, from a friend of mine. The cannon was recovered undamaged after being missing for only a few weeks, with no damage

Hi Cannon.

I know details of the theft itself and owner are sparse, but at least the list of stolen items is reasonably detailed.
As these swords serial numbers are recorded there should be a good chance that they will be noticed when the thief tries to sell them.

The number given is for:
The Hammersmith and Fulham Burglary Squad based at Hammersmith Police Station. Office. 02082462655

[cannonmn]

Thanks, it was not clear to me (I'm not a sword collector) what the numbers were, you say serial numbers, I was thinking they were museum catalog numbers perhaps put on with white ink, that's how little I know. The serial no. will be rolled or stamped into the metal which is good. You are correct that the important info is the details of the stolen items, frequently missing from the usual media theft report.

I just reposted the info with link on three collector forums and two email lists here in the US as the thief will likely have to go outside UK to sell the hot items.

[Atlantia]

Thanks, it was not clear to me (I'm not a sword collector) what the numbers were, you say serial numbers, I was thinking they were museum catalog numbers perhaps put on with white ink, that's how little I know. The serial no. will be rolled or stamped into the metal which is good. You are correct that the important info is the details of the stolen items, frequently missing from the usual media theft report.

I just reposted the info with link on three collector forums and two email lists here in the US as the thief will likely have to go outside UK to sell the hot items.

Hi Cannon,

I assume the numbers are the spine numbers and the collector seems to have researched each one and assigned it to it's original owner.
These spine numbers are deeply stamped into the spine up near the guard. There would be no easy way to grind them out or fill them short of careful electric welding, repolishing/renumbering them over the top. I would think that these numbers will prove too difficult to remove and be the best hope of recovery.

What an amazing collection. I'd be heartbroken to have lost it if it were mine.
Well done for spreading the word. The more people aware the greater the chance of recovery.

Best
Gene

[spiral]

Fascinating stuff this!

Any of the collectors here heard of any of these stolen pieces yet? Or have they disapeered into a "secret" collection somewhere? Because someone could get them cheaper than legal pieces?

As they say in Devon "Bargain" :eek:


Lots more swords stolen worlwide lately, A Japanese shop just lost yen 15,000,000 worth of katana. Loads of recent thieving in England & California to.

linky 1 (http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/burnley/9731886.Burglars_steal_antique_swords_worth___3_00 0_in_Burnley/)

for example


Who buys all these stolen swords? Do they ever show them to anyone else? What happens to them? Dont reckon there weighed in for scrap, they must end up with knowledgable collecters eventualy...

I wonder if it adds to the pleasure of owning them or dimineshes it? :shrug:

Spiral

[Atlantia]

Hi J,

I don't know. I guess with the top list in this thread it's going to be pretty difficult for them to be broken up and sold separately as they are all individually recorded.
They should start to be picked up as they trickle onto the market. As long as the serial numbers etc aren't removed :shrug:

If you google any of the names and numbers it should bring up one of the sites showing the list of stolen swords.

As for the ones in your link, well that's definately going to be more problematic.
It's a worry on several levels for sure.