Luftwaffe Dagger 2nd Model

The pommel and crossguard are an aluminium type, having bright, raised surfaces and darker backgrounds. The crossguard exactly matches the tone of the pommel and displays an eagle flying to the left, clutching a swastika. This crossguard is of the thinner type. It has a good pebble pattern to the reverse. The upper quillon arms have fine engraved oak leaves and acorns. The grip is a fine, medium yellow colour made from solid celluloid and is tightly wrapped with twisted brass wire. The blade is double edged and the tip is needle pointed. The scabbard is the typical Alcoso type, having the very distinguishable rounded shell. This shell is toned an airplane grey colour and it is perfectly straight, having good detail to the pebbling. The scabbard is fitted with aluminium carrying bands having oak leaf detail. The throat of the scabbard is retained by two flathead style side screws. Markings - The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark used from 1941. It consists of a sideways scales, having the firm’s initials “ACS” interspersed. To the right of the scales, the firm’s name is written in script, “Alcoso”, over the block lettered location town of, “Solingen”. The leather blade buffer is in place.

The 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger was adopted for wear by officers and certain high ranking Non Commissioned Officers in 1937. This dagger is a 1941 model. The dagger came into possesion of Private H C Craig, 2/13 Australian Infantry Battalion, in 1946 when he was a truck driver unloading crates from a ship docked in Woolloomooloo. The crates contained war relics that were destined for transportation to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.