View Single Post
Old 7th August 2020, 08:06 AM   #5
kronckew
Member
 
kronckew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,150
Default

Interesting info on the 1908 sword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNY5p5h8eQ4

I'd always wanted a 1908 until I saw the comments on it. I DO have an Indian sabre like he mentioned with the 1796 style blade & 1821 style guard/grip, it handles even better than the 1796 and has a wider and thicker blade root. The Brits finally forced the Indian regement to use them, tho I gather they were still issued to Mountain troops (Khyber pass?) for quite a while after the others.

I've read somewhere about the first engagement of UK and German cavalry in WW1 before the trenching started. A British cavalry troop charged a German Uhlan troop armed with lances, in the ensuing melee a number of German lancers were killed an the rest fled, persued by the Brits. The Germans hopped a barbed wire cattle fence while the Brits horses refused to jump it. Apparently the Germans were quite young recruits on their first outing with no experience. I also suspect the Brits did not have the 1908s and thus were better equipped for the melee that occured.
kronckew is offline   Reply With Quote