Description
Physical description
Knife has leaf-shaped blade with broad medial ridge expanding to form ricasso, circular handguard cranked and fitted to grip by a tumbler, which permits the handguard to lie flat when the weapon is sheathed, grip tang ends in blunt point, grip bound with cord, scabbard composed of stiffened textile wound with canvas.
Label
The "Welsh Knife" was designed in 1916 by the sculptor and armourer Felix Joubert and patented by him, as a "new or improved trench knife". It was allegedly based on an ancient Welsh weapon, although the existence of such a distinctly Welsh mediæval sword has since been disproved.
An unknown, but limited, number of Welsh Knives were manufactured by the Wilkinson Sword Company, at the behest of Lord Howard de Walden. De Walden shared Joubert's interest in mediæval weapons and had the knives issued to the 9th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, with whom he was serving as a Major. Their blades bore the inscription "Dros Urddas Cymru" ("For the Honour of Wales").
The Imperial War Museum possesses a memorandum, dated 27 January 1920, which relates information on the knife supplied by Colonel H Lloyd Williams, late Commander of the 9th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (Lord Howard de Walden commanded the Battalion between September and December 1917; Lloyd Williams took command in October 1918). The memorandum states - "9th Batt'n. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. This battalion made use of a knife with which all machine gunners and bombers were always equipped. Every member of a raiding party was so armed and in one raid on the Messines Ridge two days before the battle of Messines they were used with conspicuous success. They were provided by Lord Howard de Walden and were a replica of a weapon used by Ancient Welsh tribes. They were double-edged, but were intended more for bayonetting than cutting."
History note
The IWM Exhibits' Section possesses a copy of Felix Joubert's original patent (No 108,741 - application 25 August 1916, accepted 23 August 1917) specification for the weapon. Associated with this document is an IWM memorandum, dated 27 January 1920, which relates to information on the knife supplied by Colonel H Lloyd Williams, late Commander of the 9th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
History note
Exhibition history: on display in the temporary (immediate pre-1989 redevelopment) First World War exhibition 1985-1988 with the caption - "Welsh Knife. These were issued to machine-gunners and bombers of the 9th Battalion, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, at the expense of Lord Howard de Walden who was serving as a major with the battalion. The inscription on the blade reads 'For the honour of Wales'".
1-2. engraved on blade
3. stamped on scabbard
1. JO monogram
2. DROS URDDAS CYMRU
3. Royal Arms over JOUBERT
