Fighting knives used by British commandos and SOE during WW2
 

Commando knives with different hilts.

                                                               

Text and pictures by
Olof Janson unless otherwise stated.

Special honour should be given to:

  • Robert Wilkinson-Lath    am,
  • Ron Flook,
  • Roy Shadbolt.

Who have given me much assistance.  

On the picture to the left:
All steel Commando knife
with insignia from Free French forces.

 

updated 2013-03-05

 

INDEX
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

US Marine Raider Stiletto OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
Odd knives

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives
Sheaths
Marks
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

 

Alloy-hilted Commando knife

An unusual alloy hilted variant of the commando knives with completely diffrent hilt pattern. 
Here is a knife with the long crossguard.
There are two known versions - one with matt nickel finish, and one with bronze colouration.

Both types have the cast in mullet piece similar to the Marine Raider Stiletto. They are all made from the same mould casting them one by one. The casting ridges are identical on every specimen with the same width of crossguard.

The example illustrated has bronze finish to the hilt.

(own collection)

 

 

The history behind these one piece alloy-hilted Commando knives is not known.

According to Wilkinson-Latham the Beaded and Ribbed version was introduced late 1942.

 The alloy-hilted commando knife is believed to be made for commercial sale. It is believed the knives came from Sheffield and they were made similar in style like the USMC Stiletto.

The hilt and crossguard are cast directly to the tang. It has rows of rings to provide a grip. There are longer and shorter cross-guards. (Note Specifications)

The knife comes normally with a scabbard of commercial sheath knife type with rivets around the sides.

Fredrick Stephens calls this version "an extremely rare version".

 

Specifications for Alloy-hilted Commando knives
Length over all 11.3" - 11.63" 286 - 295 mm
Length of blade 6.23" - 6.75" 158 - 171 mm
Cross-guard 1.81"-2.06" 46 - 52 mm
Wheight 245 gram 245 gram

 

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Steel-hilted Commando knife

French resistance commando knife

 

French resistance commando knife

(you can see more pictures here>>>)

 

(private collection)

It is difficult to find these knives in any condition,
even without original scabbards like shown here on the pictures.

 

 

The knife above was found in Norway.

(Courtesy of Jarle Ostensvik)

The knife to the left was found on the Continent.

These two knives have scabbards which differs from the scabbards described by collectors like Ron Flook.

 

This type is called “French resistance commando knife” or
“Artic-warfare British commando knife”.

 This variation is usually associated with Free French or referred to as a French resistance "drop knife" in the FS reference books. This particular pattern of knife was also issued to the Home Guard Commandos like the Home Guard Aux Units. This type of commando knife appeared in the beginning of 1944.

These blades look like they are typical Sheffield grounded blades

The All steel version knives are dated to 1944 and later.

The hilt and pommel are constructed in one piece, with the tang going through the hilt and pommel.

There is not much known about these rare knives. Like many of the more unusual variants these all steel variants are subject to speculations. Many claim that they were made for the resistance. Most likely they represent an "Erzats" version to meet the demands for D-Day. There are pictures from D-day showing soldiers with these knives. They are found in France, Holland and Norway and they are considered to be made for the resistance movements in occupied Europe.

It has been reported that these knives were used by the Home Guard. I have been told that Sgt. Denis Gray and the Byfleet Aux Units Home Guard 34 Platoon used this type all steel Commando knife.

These blades look like typical Sheffield grounded blades

Plated knives of this type are also reported. They might have been for presentation purposes or the commercial market. (See picture below.)

Fredrick Stephens calls this version "an extremely rare version".

 

This is one example of Steel-Hilted Commando with nickel-plated finish.

This knife was found near Arnhem in Holland beside Driel. Most likely it was part of Operation Market Garden, which includes the Battle for Arnhem, in September 1944, was the largest airborne battle in history with more than 34 600 men from 101st, 82nd and 1st Airborne divisions together with the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade.

(private collection)

x

Specifications for Steel-hilted Commando knives
Length over all 11.06" - 11.50"  280 - 295 mm
Length of blade 6.38" - 6.86"  160 - 175 mm
Wheight ca 215 gram ca 215 gram

 

 

This knife is reported by Buerlein (Page 35 and Plate 57) and he says:

Unusual grey zinc phosphate finished F-S. Sheath stamped on the back with the Free French Airborne jump Wings, an Arabic inscription, and "1 Regiment de Hussars Parachutists." interestingly, the all steel grip, which has seven rows of knurling, is stamped with the British broad arrow acceptance mark. The blade is marked, "Venture", which is part of the H. G. Long & Co. group in Sheffield England

 

The Arabic words Buerlein talks about are difficult to decipher, but most likely it is written “Chiraz Saad” (maybe Saar).

This knife is exactly the same knife except that there is no trademark on the blade.

 

(private collection)

 

 

Smooth-hilted commando knife.
Smooth hilted commando knives are sometimes attributed to the Free Polish forces.

It has been an uncertain statement based only on one knife, but now there are more than three knives of this type which can be connected to the Free Polish forces. They might also have been private purchase variations.

Buerlein shows a picture (plate 52)in his book ‘Allied Military Fighting knives’ with a “unribbed” hilted knife. The Polish crest is attached to the sheath. He says that 'might indicate that this knife was made for some Polish units in England'.

Shown here is the type of Polish crest attached to that sheath Buerlein writes about.

 

 

Here is a Smooth hilted commando knife marked with  4 close to the crossguard on the ferrule.

 

 

Most likely these knives are made 1943 onwards. Both drop-forged and mechanically grounded blades exist. These are blued. The hilt is normally zinc grey. The pommel nut is made from steel or brass.

Length over all is around 293 mm and the length of blade around 176 mm 

Fredrick Stephens writes in his book ‘Fighting knives’ plate 495:

’it is believed to have been commissioned by members of the Polish Airborne Forces exiled in this country during the war. The hilt is made of grey alloy, and secured by a screw-threaded pommel’

Ron Flook is doubtful in his book ‘British and Commonwealth Military Knives’ plate 163 and says that he doubt it because the assumption was based ‘on example which had a Polish badge attached to its sheath.’ The authenticity of these knives are often questioned.

 

 

This is another of these knives which can be connected to Polish soldiers. This knife was found in a ships bag in Norway together with the Polish dogtags. The Name on the dogtags is ‘Maczek’.

(Courtesy of LH600 in Norway)

 

Here is another Smooth hilted commando knife.

 

 

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Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
 

There are three basic modells of the F-S fighting knife.
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.
like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
US Marine Raider Stiletto

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives

Odd knives
Sheaths
Marks
Sheaths
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

The Stalingrad Sword made by Wilkinson Sword.

 

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References:
Robert Wilkinson Latham His own web site
Alan W. Locken Commando 1940 - 1945
Robert A. Burlein Allied Military Fightingknives
Ron Flook British and Commonwealth military knives.
Fredrick J. Stephens Fighting Knives
Frank Trzaska The O.S.S. Stiletto - Knife World February 1998.
Frank Trzaska The Raider Stiletto - Knife World July 1997
Kelly Yeaton The First Commando Knives.
John Nowhill & son Sheffield
Michigan knives  
Dr. William Windrum  The earliest commando knivesAllan W. Locken – Commando 1940 - 1945.