3rd third pattern Fairbairn Sykes dagger fighting knife

3rd Pattern Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife

 This is a third pattern Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife. This knife differs radically from the first and second pattern. The brass and nickle plated checkered grip is now replaced with a grip consisting of a concentric ring design. The third pattern was issued in black as standard, so as not to reflect the light.


Marked 3 on the hilt

 Third patterns can be marked on the hilt as above. This one is marked 3 and refers just to the cast number & manufacturer.

Showing the concentrice ringed grip

1st pattern Fairbairn Sykes type 3 dagger fighting knife

1st pattern Fairbairn Sykes type 3 fighting knife and partial scabbard

 I acquired this 1st pattern Fairbairn Sykes type 3 dagger the other day it is for sale. Please vist
1st pattern FS Dagger for sale for information and price.
There aren't many of these around. It was first produced in 1941. All first pattern FS knives were hand made so they are all slightly different but the quality of construction still remained. There are 3 variations of the first pattern. The first type has a 3 inch recurved cross guard this is scarce and only a few are thought to exist. The type 2 differs only from the first type by have a shorter crossguard of 2 inches in length. The third type differs from the 2nd in terms of quality, the checkering of the grip is not so precise and the recurve of the crossguard is shallower. Below is a comparison of the type 2 and 3. The type 2 is shown in my previous blog here

1st pattern type 3

1st pattern type 2

The FS Fighting Knife Etching



The Wilkinson Sword Etching

The end of the grip showing the threaded nut with the tang peened over

WW2 Luftwaffe Unqualified Air Gunner and Flight Engineer badge



WW2 Luftwaffe Unqualified Air Gunner and Flight Engineer badge



The above is the Unqualified Air Gunners and Flight Engineers Badge this was introduced on 25 April 1944 for anyone who had taken part in at least ten operations, or had been wounded in the course of his duty in these operations. The badge was awarded to those who were replacing casualties in the closing stages of the war, but had not qualified for the Air Gunners Flight Engineers Badge. It consists of a darkened wreath with a silver eagle

Reverse of badge. No maker mark

Hearts and Daggers Luftwaffe Unqualified Air Gunners badge

WW2 German Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge



Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge



The Ground Assault Badge was instigated on  the 31 March 1942 to reward members of the German air force who were engaged in military operations in support of the army. If , prior to the instigation of this badge, an Army award badge such as the General Assault Badge, Infantry Assault Badge or Tank Assault Badge had been awarded, it was to be exchanged for this badge. The criteria for award were:

1)Being involved in three engagements on different days.

2)Being wounded in one of the actions for which this badge could be awarded.

3)To have been awarded a decoration in one of these actions
They came in a two piece construction were the eagle was riveted to the main body or as in the one illustrated single cast piece.

Reverese of badge

Hearts and Daggers German WW2 Luftwaffe ground assault badge

WW2 Luftwaffe Combined Pilots and Observers Badge



WW2 Luftwaffe Combined Pilots
and Observers Badge

The Combined Pilots and Observers Badge was introduced on 26 March 1936 and replaced the older air crew badge. It took the same format as the former but the eagle was bright silver and the wreath was gilt with the top parts polished and the indentations matt. The badge was manufactured from alumium and later Pot metal. Pot metal also known as monkey metal, white metal or die-cast zinc, is a colloquial term that refers to alloys that consist of inexpensive, low-melting point metals used to make fast, inexpensive castings. The eagle was riveted to the main body as can be seen below. A vertical pin attached the award to the tunic. The badge would have been awarded on completion of both the pilots and observers courses.

This Luftwaffe Pilot Observers Badge is manufactured by W. DEMEUR LUDENSCHEID and is marked as such.




Reverse of the Pilot Observer Badge

 

Detail showing makers mark on reverse


Hearts and daggers Combined pilots observers badge

Condor Legion ~ Spanish Cross award document Panzer Division

Spanish Cross in Silver award document

I purchased this the other day. It is an award document to a Corporal Alexejew Eugen for the Spanish Cross in silver with swords. He was in the Condor Legion  with Panzer Regiment 6 "Neuruppin" of the third Panzer Division. The above is this document, roughly translated it reads:

 In the name

of the German people

I give

Corporal Eugene Alexejew

as recognition

 for fine service as a volunteer in the Spanish War of Independence

The German Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords

Berlin the 6 june 1939

The Fuhrer

and

Supreme Commander

 of the Wehrmacht



Honor Deed of Cpl Eugene Alexejew



Above is an "Honor Deed" showing his service with the regiment between 1935 and 1937. Roughly translated it reads:

Honor Deed

of Cpl Eugene Alexejew

has from 1 Nov 1935-30 Sept 1937

in

Third company, Panzer Regiment 6 "Neuruppin"

fine compusary service fulfilled

with honor

"Neuruppin" the 30 september 1937

SIGNED Captain and Company commander

 In Spain in early October 1936 General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm Josef Ritter von Thoma was sent by the German high command to Spain as the commander of the group "Imker" (Beekeeper), the ground contingent of the German Condor Legion. Tasked with training Franco's Spanish Nationalist officers and men in tanks, infantry tactics and artillery and signals employment. Cpl Eugene Alekseyez would have been part of this.

Spanish Red Cross of Merit Document

The above is an award document for the Spanish Red Cross of Military Merit. Translated below:

Spanish army

on the meritorious service in operations during the war

Sergent Eugene Alexejew

S.E. the chief of state and general of the Nationalist Army has seen fit to grant

the Red Cross of Military Merit

and for the record and to the satisfaction of the applicant, issued on behalf of "SE" This diploma

Burgos to 1st December 1938, III triumphant year

The Minister of National Defence

Eugene Alexejew recieved the above document and the one below which is for the Spanish Campaign Medal

Spanish Campaign Medal

The text translates roughly as follows:

Spanish army

on the meritorious service in operations during the war

Sergent Eugene Alexejew

S.E. the chief of state and generalissimo of the Nationalist Army has seen fit to give the Campaign Medal and for the record and to the satisfaction of the applicant, issued on behalf of "SE" This diploma

Burgos to 1st December 1938, III triumphant year

The Minister of National Defence

Interestingly he is a corporal in the German army and seen as a Sergent when helping out Spain.
Spanish Cross silver for Legion Condor panzer division

3rd Pattern Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife FS third



2nd pattern FS Knife in scabbard



Knife and scabbard



I've listed the other two Fairbairn Sykes daggers in recent posts. This is the final WW2 production one, the 3rd pattern. These knive were used by Commando unites and later the SAS and other special forces.The grip on the 3rd pattern is a ring grip introduced in 1942. The grips themselves were possibly manufactured by 4 companies. Almost all the blades of the 3rd pattern are machine ground, there exist some hand ground ones but these are rare.



Grip of the 2nd pattern

The above shows the ring grip which differs quite considerably from the 1st & 2nd pattern grips. Fairbairn disliked the grip calling it a disaster, ruining the reputation of the F-S fighting knife. The balance of the blade was lost and the grip was also likely to slip if it became wet with water or blood.

Top of grip showing foundery mark no.1

The grip has a foundry mark raised 1-4 on the top as shown in the picture above.



Additonal photo of guard.
Not all these knives have WD marks