The Gorget

The last vestige of knightly armour, this decorative piece of metal was suspended around the neck of officers in the 18th century and early 19th centuries.   Originally, gorgets were a metal or stiff leather collar intended to protect the throat and neck. In fact, the term is derived from the French word for throat.  In the 18th century, the size of the gorget diminished as it became a piece of adornment for the uniform -- another sign of the rank of an officer. 

 

By the 18th century, the gorget shrank to a small piece of crescent shaped metal.  Suspension around the neck was by chain or ribbon. 

Colonel George Washington of the Virginia Regiment. 

As the examples below demonstrate, the gorget bore arms distinctive to the nation or monarch of the officer. Often, regimental numbers or symbols were etched on the gorget for that distinctive flair.   18th and 19th century gorgets are found in brass, gilded brass, silver and brass or silver with enamel.  As with officer's swords of the time, the gorget was as ornate as the officer could afford. 

 French gorget

British gorget

British gorget

French Napoleonic Gorget

Dutch gorget

Hessian gorget

The gorget made its way into the new world as a trade item.  Europeans exchanged gorgets with Native Americans for pelts and other goods.  

By the 1830s, most of the world's military ceased wearing the gorget.  However, it's use is seen in the 20th century -- most notably by the German military. 

Imperial German gorget

German WWII military police gorget

German Reich Labor gorget

German WWII standard bearer gorget

I've always considered the gorget an interesting proposition for collecting, but have not entered the field. With so many variations, and with relative ease of display, a collector could assemble quite a large and impressive collection. German WWII gorgets are easily found in the market and at a varied price range. As with everything German WWII, non-military items are the most affordable with SS items garnering the highest prices.  I have not encounter many 18th or 19th century gorgets on the market.  The few that I have seen bore significant price tags.  Due to the popularity of reenacting, gorgets have been reproduced. The reproductions are fairly easily to spot, but the buyer should beware of false aging and other faking techniques. 

The British 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword

As I have stated before, heavy cavalry during the 18th and 19th centuries played a specific role on the battlefield.  Big men mounted on big horses wielding big swords.   

In 1796, the British would deviate from arming the King's heavy cavalryman with a long, relatively narrow, spear pointed sword.  Rather, the King's Board of Ordinance adopted a long, straight, wide bladed, hatchet point sword for heavy cavalry.   This sword is known as the pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword. 

The sword is also known as a disk hilt sword and is derived from the Austrian model 1769 pallasch.  It is approximately 35 inches long with the blade bearing one fuller and being of the backsword type (with the spine being unedged and flat).  The iron disk hilt is somewhat crude looking and has a single knuckle bow and has two languets protruding down the blade. I've heard the purpose of languets to be to either trap and break an opponent's blade or to hold the sword securely in the scabbard.    I'm not positive of the real function of the languet, but this sword is not intended for fencing or finesse swordplay.  It is for hacking, pure and simple.  The hilt has an iron backstrap that incorporates two "ears" which are folded down and secure the grip. Thr grip is wood wrapped with cord and covered with leather. 

The sword depicted to this point is the troopers' model.  Regulations required that officers have two swords.  The dress pattern, also known as a boat shell hilt:

 

and the undress pattern,also known as a ladder back due to decorative cut outs in the knucklebow. 

 

1796 heavy troopers' swords are found with period armoury and field modifications.  The hatchet point is often found ground down to a spear point.  This was done reportedly prior to Waterloo to render the sword more of a thrust weapon so that troopers would stand a better chance hen facing Napoleon's armored cuirassiers.   Also, examples are found with the inside portion of the disk ground away (for comfort when the sword is worn on the side and to prevent wear on the uniform) and with the languets removed (because quite frankly they appear to be useless).

The 1796 heavy cavalry sword is a brute of a weapon.   Fans of Bernard Cornwell's British Napoleonic rifle officer, Richard Sharp, will remember that he carries a 1796 heavy cavalry troopers' sword at his side.  Having owned a few of these beasts over the years, I think it highly doubtful that any foot officer would carry such a weapon. It is far too long to walk around with at your side and certainly too long and heavy to fight with on foot. 

These swords command high prices on the market due to popularity and the relatively few examples available.   The British simply did not have that many heavy cavalry regiments and, therefore, fewer heavy cavalry swords.  Officer's undress examples and regimentally marked swords bring the highest prices. Beware of faked regimental designations on troopers' swords. Also, the sword, both officers' and troopers' models have been reproduced. Look for British cutler names, such as Gill, Wooley & Deakin, Reddell, Bates, Osborn & Gunby and Osbourne, stamped on the spine of he blade  as well as inspector's stamps on blades.

 Inspector's stamps will be a crown with a number underneath.  Regimental designations are founded stamped or etched typically on the guard or knucklebow and on the top side of the scabbard.  They will appear as a regimental abbreviation with a troop letter and rack number for the sword. for example:   

3d DG

 B/32

meaning that the sword, or scabbard, was issued to Troop B of 3rd Dragoon Guards and numbered 32.  The designation form depicted above is known in the collecting world as the British fraction.  The letters "YC" if found in the British fraction stand for yeomanry (or volunteer) cavalry.  A sword ith these markings, although unit identified, will not garner as high of a price as one designated to a regular army regiment, because the sword likely never left the British Isles during its service life.   Do not be concerned if the regimental or inspection marks differ between sword and scabbard. When the swords were placed into storage or decommissioned, regimental armourers often mismatched swords and scabbards. 

Finally,  make sure that what you are buying is a British sword and not the Austrian predecessor or a later Austrian sword.  The Austrian 1824 heavy cavalry pallasch, shown below, looks quite similar to the British 1796 heavy cavalry sword. 

The British 1796 heavy cavalry sword is an ugly weapon. However, the weapon has mystique. I am fortunate to have had a few in my collection. 

Note:  The photos used are not of swords that I own or have owned. Rather they are examples commonly found on the Internet in the public domain. 

The Sturmgewehr 44

Look familiar? Those interested in modern arms may think that this weapon is an early Soviet Ak-47.  This is the German Sturmgewehr 44.   The literal translation means "storm rifle," and is one of the worlds first fully automatic, mass produced assault rifles.  

STG44 development  commenced in 1942 as a result of Operation Barbarossa -- the German invasion of the Soviet Union.   The workhorse of the German army, the bolt action Kar 98 rifle, was no match for the large number of semi and fully automatic Soviet infantry weapons.  While German NCOs and select troops carried a variety of sub machine guns, such as the Erma and MP40, these weapons fired a 9mm pistol round that lacked the range and firepower of a larger rifle round. Hence the STG44 --the rapid fire capability of a sub machine gun with the range and punch of a rifle. 

German WWII wartime production has always interested me.  Infighting in the highly bureaucratic German government caused Hitler to twice suspend production of the STG44.  Hitler was obsessed with secret weapons and weapons of massive size.  Rather than produce weapons and materials that were simple, relatively inexpensive and quickly manufactured (thus received sooner in the field by the troops), Hitler directed his armament developers to produce the weapons at he believed would instill such fear in the Allies that they would be forced to seek peace.    Thankfully, and due to Hitler, the STG44 did not reach the hands of German troops early enough in the war to turn the tide.  

Many weapons throughout history have had accessories. The STG44 is no exception, but it has one of the strangest accessories ever produced.   Enter the kummlauf -- literally "curved barrel."  The kummlauf is a bent barrel extension that could be affixed to the STG44.  It's purpose was to allow the user to shoot around corners or over the sides of armored personnel carriers without being exposed to counter fire.  A version was also made for tanks.  The kummlauf came with dual sports mirrors and in a variety of colors.   Kidding -- but it did have a mirror with which to see around corners. 

While the STG44 did not alter the course of the war, it did have an impact in the field and earned  the attention of Germany's adversaries, specifically the Soviets.  The STG44's descendent,the Russian and later Chinese AK-47, played a significant role in the Cold War and beyond.