Harold Teft's trophy bayonet
Ersatz EB 37
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German WW1 bayonet with L/Cpl H. E. Teft details scratched into the scabbard
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3 Comments
Thanks for providing this background infomation Howard
In response to Stephen & Phil Teft's request for informaton:-
I don't know all that much more about this particular bayonet, apart from it being the bayonet that started my collection maybe 4 years ago. Before I cleaned 90+ years worth of grime off it's scabbard, only the number '2679' was visible, so whoever let it go from Phil Teft's family probably never saw any of the other details scratched into the scabbard and so didn't realise it's significance.
I've got an idea why the records might show Harold Teft's name as 'Taft' - on the scabbard inscription, the 'e' could quite easily be an 'a' and maybe this is how Harold's handwriting appeared on his documents, such as his military papers, causing his name to be recorded as 'Taft'.
Ersatz ('substitute') bayonet production began at the start of WW1, although some have claimed they were only produced towards the end of the war. This bayonet can be used as proof that the former is correct, as the inscription's details on the scabbard appear to date from between sept and nov 1916 (see my post on page 12 of the guestbook).
In contrast to modern Germany's reputation of efficiency, early in WW1 they had far more Mauser G98 rifles than bayonets so a large number of Ersatz bayonet designs, of all shapes and sizes, were produced and issued to solve this problem. Some were made from scratch, while others were adapted from a motley collection of foreign types, modified with a German grip, to fit the Mauser. I have a French Gras bayonet modified in this way.
This EB37 is closely related to the EB36, the only difference is the EB36 has a fuller down each side of the blade. I am grateful to whoever stored this particular bayonet with a well greased blade for so many years, as it's surface finish is almost like new and still has the machining marks showing how it was made from a strip of sheet steel.
A good site for illustrated information on Ersatz (and other) bayonet types is:-
http://www.old-smithy.info/bayonets/German%20Ersatz.htm#EB36_
It will explain their history in much greater detail than I ever could in this comment box.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
I don't know all that much more about this particular bayonet, apart from it being the bayonet that started my collection maybe 4 years ago. Before I cleaned 90+ years worth of grime off it's scabbard, only the number '2679' was visible, so whoever let it go from Phil Teft's family probably never saw any of the other details scratched into the scabbard and so didn't realise it's significance.
I've got an idea why the records might show Harold Teft's name as 'Taft' - on the scabbard inscription, the 'e' could quite easily be an 'a' and maybe this is how Harold's handwriting appeared on his documents, such as his military papers, causing his name to be recorded as 'Taft'.
Ersatz ('substitute') bayonet production began at the start of WW1, although some have claimed they were only produced towards the end of the war. This bayonet can be used as proof that the former is correct, as the inscription's details on the scabbard appear to date from between sept and nov 1916 (see my post on page 12 of the guestbook).
In contrast to modern Germany's reputation of efficiency, early in WW1 they had far more Mauser G98 rifles than bayonets so a large number of Ersatz bayonet designs, of all shapes and sizes, were produced and issued to solve this problem. Some were made from scratch, while others were adapted from a motley collection of foreign types, modified with a German grip, to fit the Mauser. I have a French Gras bayonet modified in this way.
This EB37 is closely related to the EB36, the only difference is the EB36 has a fuller down each side of the blade. I am grateful to whoever stored this particular bayonet with a well greased blade for so many years, as it's surface finish is almost like new and still has the machining marks showing how it was made from a strip of sheet steel.
A good site for illustrated information on Ersatz (and other) bayonet types is:-
http://www.old-smithy.info/bayonets/German%20Ersatz.htm#EB36_
It will explain their history in much greater detail than I ever could in this comment box.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Reply
H J WILLIAMSON
02:55 PM on December 24, 2010
GERMAN WW1 ERSATZ BAYONET STANDARD VARIATION.AN EMERGENCY PATTERN
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