10th Hussars light cavalry officer's sword, by Wilkinson, to named Boer War officer

ELC1010 - The Edwardian 10th Hussars light cavalry officer's sword, by Wilkinson and to a named officer. Captain Carleton Salkeld served in the 10th Hussars (commissioned 1899, promoted to Captain in 1904), with extensive service in the Second Anglo-Boer War, and after retiring in March 1907 entered the Westmorland & Cumberland Yeomanry.

Hart's Annual Army List of 1906 says of Salkeld, "Captain C. Salkeld served in the South Africa war in 1899-1902 - slightly wounded, and was present at relief of Kimberley; took part in operations in Orange Free State Feb to May 1900, including operations at Paardeberg, and actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Houtnek, Vet River, and Zand River; in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Diamond Hill; in the Transvaal, west of Pretoria, including action at Eland's River; in the Orange River Colony, including action at Wittebergen; and in Cape Colony, south of Orange River (mentioned in despatches, Medal with six Clasps, King's Medal with two Clasps)."

This however is not the sword he carried in South Africa, as the serial number dates to 1902 and the blade is un-sharpened. We can probably safely assume that his previous service sword was rendered too scrappy for wear by military rigors and this sword was its replacement. Nevertheless, it is a lovely sword, ordered by a many with extensive military service, who presumably wanted a good sword to replace his old one.

The sword itself lacks the scabbard, but is otherwise in good condition, with a clean blade having only light patina, crisp, deep etching and everything is solid and tight. The shagreen is in good condition and only a few strands of the silver grip wire are gone. There is copious extra etching on the blade, ordered specially, including the 10th Hussars emblem, Salkeld's initials and his family crests. It is also interesting to note that the 10th Hussars officers kept using the 3-bar light cavalry hilt, long after the 1896 pattern had officially replaced it on paper.