Help me identify this bayonet and scabbard odd couple

T

the11

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Hi all. Awhile ago I picked up a pattern 1907 bayonet on ebay. It came with a scabbard that I can't identify. I thought it was for a pattern 1917, but it doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, on to the pics. Any help in identifying this is welcome.

First, here it is. It has a gray parkerized type finish. Is this unusual?

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Here are the markings. Hard to read through the parkerizing, but I can see the year is 43. And the maker looks like "WSC" to me. I have never heard of that. Anyone??

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The grips stand fairly proud. Either like it was refurbed, or just not well finished when made. The blade looks in awfully good shape to be a refurb. But did they come parkerized from the factory? Or was this only done in refurbishment? Also, I can see no serial numbers of any kind on it.

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Now on to the scabbard. It is painted green (I think. I am a little colour blind) which would indicate American wouldn't it? But at the top there is no button, nor is there the belt hook I see on pics of pattern 1917 scabbards.

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If you look closely, you can see that it looks like someone has been at it with a grinder. :mad:

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So what about it? Can any experts out there shed some light on this for me?
 
Somebody has ground off the double-wire-hook fitting; probably because it didn't fit on the belt they were using and it got in the way all the time. Many ones supplied to the British have had a leather frog fitted to enable it to fit on a conventional belt, sometimes this is a slip-on fit and sometimes it was sewn together as a permanent assembly on the scabbard.

Early issues of the M1917 scabbard had a block brazed on the back to which was riveted a leather hanger which carried the hook. This proved to be a poor design which did not last well and later issues fastened the hook directly to the metal. This would appear to be an early one which has broken, like many of them did, and has had the block ground down as it no longer served any purpose.

The WSC bayonets procured in WW2 were done for the Royal Navy. This was the only (British) procurement of this model in WW2, the supply of WW1 bayonets apparently being adequate to meet their needs. The grips were likely made as spares; these turn up as spares even today.

http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/bayo_points_11.htm
 
Cool! So this destined for the Royal Navy then! I wonder if that has something to do with why it was parkerized.

In any case, this one looks to me like it was never issued to the Navy, or to anyone else.
 
It is a US M1917 scbd with the Cdn mod of grinding off the belt hooks so the scbd could be inserted in a P37 frog.
 
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