THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY was incorporated by royal charter in 1537, by King Henry VIII (r.1509-1547) and is regarded as the oldest volunteer regiment in the British Army (the Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army).
By the end of the 18th Century, the Honourable Artillery Company carried spadroon-type swords that were similar to those worn by officers of the regular army, with stirrup hilts and straight, single-edged blades. Hilts were of steel, gilt brass or silver and many featured a “cigar band” to the centre of the grip that bore the name of the regiment.
Officers of the H.A.C. followed the specifications of official infantry sword patterns after 1786 and this remained the same until around the 1850’s, when a dedicated style of sword for officers of the regiment was introduced. It featured a pierced shell guard with an attached flaming grenade badge (usually silver). Blades are straight, with a pronounced shoulder and raised central ridge. Etching tends to include the regimental coat of arms and lettering, “HAC”. It is contained in a black leather and brass-mounted scabbard that is normally decorated.
© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024