ww2 british chindit machete....locally made in SEA??

[katana]

Hi,
bought this army issue machete, used extensively in SEA 'operations' during the last war.... I believe that this were locally made for the Army.
The 'slabbed' handle is of a unkown hardwood , The blade is thick, carbon steel approx 6mm thick and heavily pitted. A nice weighted feel to it.
The handle has a diamond 'stamp' with '131' and on the other side a rectangle with '437'.

OAL 19"
Blade 14"
Tip width approx. 2"

The 'squared off' tip, could possibily indicate the country or area of origin. I am wondering 'Burma' or thereabouts due to the style and the heavy British involvement in Burma during WW2.

As usual ....any information or comments greatly welcome....thankyou

Regards David

[BBJW]

Looks like an English WW2 machete.

bbjw

[spiral]

Yep this is a mk.3 British issue Indian made Dha, mostly made in Calcutta & Dehradun.

Seems to have come out as a design in 1945,rather late for the Chindits expeditions but they were certanly used in Malayan emergency. The earlier ones {Mks 1 & 2 & numerous unmarked variations.} were built as weapons & were often damaged at all the tree work they were often used for.

The mark 3 was heavy & clumsy in comparison to the fighting models but solid enough for tree felling.

Spiral

[katana]

Hi BBJW, thankyou for the comformation

Hi Spiral,
thanks for the additional background...its appreciated ...disappointed that this is not a Chindit era piece, and that the main function is 'tree felling'.
However, it weighs only 1.1 lbs (500 grammes) and although slightly 'tip heavy' does not feel 'cumbersome'. (balance point is 9" from the 'pommel end')
Could there have been some variation with the Mk3, this machete feels like a compromise between a fighting weapon/vegetation chopper, and the steel used seems to have quality.....although the blade's edge is heavily rusted and has not been sharpened for many, many years ....it still feels sharp along most of its length...which surprised me.

Regards David

[spiral]

Well the Chindits were still fighting in 45 & these are usualy sold as Chindit machetes. {Even though most of the British Indian army wernt Chindits.}

I am sure there was much variation in weight. I only have one here at momment, its a fighter & it weights 14 oz & balances at 50% of its tottal length. {Intrestingly the chindit it came from also carried a kukri .}

I am sure both dha & machete got used as weapons on occasion as last resort. The earlier ones were weapon like in design but were still issued for cutting greenery.

Chindit Bowies were issued for sentry removal, Other than that Chindits were meant to be using thier guns, although for sure many Gurkhas still did there traditional do or die charges on occasion.

Yours sounds light compared to most mk.3s, surprising given the 6mm Spine as usualy they have no distal taper., but 18 oz does sound a like it could do both things.

It wasnt issued as a weapon to chindits but the ordance inspectorate was not told till about 1945 that they were bieng used to cut trees. {by Bernard Fergusen who was in charge of the 16th Brigade, coincedently, one of the 2 Chindit Brigades my father was with.}

Hope that adds a little more for you.

Spiral

[katana]

Hi Spiral,
excellent info

The blade has distal taper 6mm at the handle, 4mm mid point and 1mm at the tip. With the balance point 9" (from the end of the handle) out of an O.A.L of 19" gives approx. 47% of its length. Now, I am much more happier that its not exclusively a 'garden tool'
If this is not the usual spec of the Mk3, could this be, perhaps a MK2 blade in a Mk3 handle

You must be proud of your father.....battling the unfamiliar, humid climate, mosquito's and the thick vegetation was bad enough.....but having to face an enemy puts this on a 'different level'

Kind Regards David

[spiral]

Well the handle or blade isnt a mk.2 style. But there were lots varients in the mk.2s so perhaps its logical to assume there were varients amongst the mk.3s .

Most mk.3 still have the roller marks from the rolling machines on them, that how little distal taper they usualy have!

Many chindits carried the standerd English army machete & some carried some long American ones as well. Some brigades were also issued kukri although in many brigades if you wanted a kukri you had to get it of a Gurkha or buy them localy from shops in India.

As for my father its hard to imagine what it was like for him. He saw & did things that haunted him to his death bed & only spoke about in his last 18 days of life. Id say it stole his youth,health, faith , & sense of fun at the age of 18 when he went to play & live in the Burma jungle for 4 years.

It was a tough call for many who were there.

Spiral

[katana]

My deepest sympathy Spiral, to you and your family... and to all those whom suffered due to the effects of war.

David