Gerat jericho

[blu97]

Here some photo's of the flutes as used on German bombs. There where 2 types, on the photo the top one is orignal and the other is replica of the second type.

 

[butterfly]

Hi all,
I just managed to obtain this, which is a bayonet scabbard which has been modified to be used as a whistle attatchment for use on German bombs. There is a small picture of this in the pamphlet 'objects dropped from the air' together with a brief description, it appears in the 1941 edition and is present also in the later editions. However I am unable to find any more out about it, and indeed its use.

Does anyone have any further information about this modification and even better any photographic evidence of it in use?

I dont have the item itself yet so I am unable to give a first hand account of it, however I can post a photo which the seller put in his listing, so you can get an idea of what its like.

any help appreciated.
regards Kev

 

[millsbomber]

There is a picture of one of the scabbard types in the Book :The Blitz Now and Then : i had photo copies of it but lent out and never returned, here is a picture of my examples one steel and one paper, the paper example was just pinned in two places and glued to the fins,,,,,, Dave

 

[EOD]

Hi all,
I just managed to obtain this, which is a bayonet scabbard which has been modified to be used as a whistle attatchment for use on German bombs. There is a small picture of this in the pamphlet 'objects dropped from the air' together with a brief description, it appears in the 1941 edition and is present also in the later editions. However I am unable to find any more out about it, and indeed its use.

Does anyone have any further information about this modification and even better any photographic evidence of it in use?

I dont have the item itself yet so I am unable to give a first hand account of it, however I can post a photo which the seller put in his listing, so you can get an idea of what its like.

any help appreciated.
regards Kev

View attachment 76382

Amazing story but far fetched or to be honest weird fantasy of the seller.
This is a scabbard which was used as a wood splitter (with altered bayonett attached) to have small wood pieces when you light a fire. Normally a post WWI product of then suprlus bajonets.

 

[butterfly]

Amazing story but far fetched or to be honest weird fantasy of the seller.
This is a scabbard which was used as a wood splitter (with altered bayonett attached) to have small wood pieces when you light a fire. Normally a post WWI product of then suprlus bajonets.

The seller said it was an 'unknown'........the reason I bought it was that it is undeniably featured in the pamphlet 'Objects dropped from the Air' which is a wartime publication of all items that were recovered after air raids on the UK. I am unable to upload pics to my pc at present, however here is the description given in the pamphlet.....the photo also shows writing on the scabbard, (but as in all photos in the pamphlet not sharp images)...

' One type is a black cardboard tube, shaped like an organ pipe. The other model is an adapted bayonet scabbard, with an attatchment for fastening it to one of the vanes of the bomb. Both models are approximately 14 in. in length and 1.5 in. in diameter. .........'
(I ought to mention that the picture in the pamphlet shows a bracket of some kind attatched towards the front of the word Splitter, I dont have the scabbard I bought yet but looking at the image posted there does appear to be a flattening of the metal at that point??

I have seen the drawing Dave mentions in 'The Blitz then and now' and think this has been taken from the aforesaid pamphlet. So these are the only references I have seen about this.

EOD; do you have any documentary evidence to show that this scabbard was used as you describe? It appears odd to me that any scabbard would be issued with holes cut into the side, as I thought the idea of a scabbard was to keep the weapon clean. Moisture getting in would surely be detromental to the blade?? Of course you may be correct, the type of scabbard may have been used on limited basis as a whistle for a bomb. This is what I am trying to establish.

This didnt cost the earth and to be honest I love these things that open up all sorts of questions.
Appreciate the responses so far, I would love to know more about this item- whatever it is and if possible find some concrete evidence for either account.

all the best and thanks for the interest
regards Kev

 

[EOD]

Kev, the cuts did not matter there anymore as the bajonet was not goint to be inside ever again.
You or other members here may try to look up books on German bayonets. There I have seen these modifications.
I do not have any such books as I am not into edged weapons at all.

 

[Tmine35]

I agree with EOD. Here 2 photos from "German Bayonets" by Anthony Carter, confirming both the story and the reality.

 

[butterfly]

Kev, the cuts did not matter there anymore as the bajonet was not goint to be inside ever again.
You or other members here may try to look up books on German bayonets. There I have seen these modifications.
I do not have any such books as I am not into edged weapons at all.

Ah, I see now, you mean it was a modification for some form of shear, like a garden implement?
What is interesting is that it was made by Industriewerk Auhammer Koch und Co - Suhl as can be seen in the picture below.
This compay was set up by Hugo Schmeisser in 1919 - so this fits in well with what EOD has said especially as the Treaty of Versailles forbade the production of weapons.

So, why does this appear in the pamphlet? is it a mistake or is there something in it? First of all, would this work as a whistle - thoughts?? If it wouldnt work then it can be discounted as an error in the book. If however it may work then it opens the question of if indeed it was at some point attatched to the tail fin of a bomb?

Of course one thought is that someones house got bombed in which was one of these items and someone coming across it after a raid presumed it had been dropped??

In my time I have learnt not to trust information in wartime pamphlets 100%, however it does feature in there amongst some fairly accurate information- so could there be anything in it? One things for certain is that the stock of WW1 bayonet scabbards would run out sooner or later and apart from an 'ersatz' form of whistle there would be little point in manufacturing them.

here is a picture of the reverse logo...... again from the sellers listing...


replies appreciated - thanks
regards Kev

 

[butterfly]

I agree with EOD. Here 2 photos from "German Bayonets" by Anthony Carter, confirming both the story and the reality.

Here is an interesting link ......... relating to both the logo on the scabbard I posted and the manufactur stamped on the blade of the bayonet in the info given by T-mine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Schmeisser

So as this links both companies it certainly proves that this was the original product, and also explains why the elaborate logos are on both sides of the modified scabbard.

So the inclusion in 'Objects dropped from the Air' ---- well I guess this is now open to debate - given the information now at hand I would say that if the scabbard had at some point been used as a whistle it would have been on a limited basis and as such documentary evidence may not be so easy to find............so now I suppose the only thing left open to ask is would it have worked as a whistle? if the answer is yes then it leaves the debate open if not then its definately and undeniably a mistake in the publication.

I would just like to add, that I am always amazed by the knowledge of members here on bocn, and would like to thank everyone for their help

regards Kev

 

[Falcon]

I remember seeing one of these modified bayonet scabbards in the RAF Museum Hendon. It had a sign with it that said it was an improvised bomb whistle.

 

[EOD]

Another misslead assumption.

 

[butterfly]

just found this advert on the net, which shows an interesting diagram...

http://news.nnyln.net/hammond-advertiser/hammond-advertiser-1922-1926/hammond-advertiser-1922-1926%20-%200066.pdf

regards Kev