CURIOUSLY, ALL RANKS WITHIN THE BRITISH ARMY medical establishment carried some form of a sword and this included the enlisted men. Regimental and staff surgeons were not obliged to carry a sword but many did and they tended to be the type worn by officers of their own regiment. This was formalised in the Dress Regulations of 1822, when officers were instructed to carry the 1822 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword.
The Crimean War (1853-1856) highlighted the parlous state of medical care and facilities for wounded soldiers and following a number of public scandals, a dedicated corps of stretcher bearers and medical attendants was established in 1854 and named the Army Conveyance Corps, replaced in 1855, with the Medical Staff Corps and finally reorganised into the Army Hospital Corps between 1857 and 1861.
A sword was apparently required for these non-combatants and it took the form of a long, straight-bladed sword with a single fuller and spear point. The grip is made from cast iron and was very heavy in the hand (1lb 12ozs). It is very similar to swords supplied to the Coast Guard and might possibly have been sourced from surplus stocks made available when they stopped carrying swords in the early 19th Century. Scabbards were of black leather with a brass belt hook and chape.
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