IN TANDEM WITH THE INTRODUCTION of the 1822 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword that was of an entirely new design and featured a half-basket hilt with open bars and “Gothic” styling, the Royal Navy decided in 1827, to adopt a sword for officers of similar design. It differed in having a solid half-basket and lionshead pommel. There was also a fouled anchor and crown cartouche in place of the royal cypher and crown found on infantry officers’ swords.
Swords carried by Warrant Officers or Masters followed these changes but omitted the lionshead pommel and displayed a plain infantry type pommel. The backstrap was also undecorated and plain. Grips tended to be black sharkskin in contrast to the white sharkskin found on officers’ swords. Blades are normally plain although there are examples with decoration that is identical to the version carried by officers.
There is also a sword type with an open work hilt that is similar in most respects to an infantry officer’s sword of 1822 Pattern and it could have been carried by both Warrant and senior officers. It is thought that it was introduced before the 1827 Pattern and was an interim style before the pattern was formalised.
© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024