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Military Edged Weapons and Militaria PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF BRUCE GEORGE W.N.B. George (1915-2016) gained a first in Architecture at Liverpool University in 1937, where he studied Scandinavian “functionalist” influences on architecture, touring Sweden, Denmark and Finland. During the war he served with the Artists’ Rifles (28th London Regiment), the Royal Artillery (Anti-Aircraft Command) and 315 Battery, 5th Searchlight Regiment RA. In 1942 George was confined with 50,000 others in Changi Jail before being moved to the Burma-Thailand Railway in June 1943. Following the war he setup the architectural practice George, Trew & Dunn who, in 1959, were selected to redesign the Royal Military Chapel (the Guards Chapel) in Birdcage Walk, following its destruction by a V1 bomb during a service in June 1944. 322 A NAVAL OFFICER’S SPADROON, CIRCA 1790 with regulation blade retaining traces of etching, gilt-brass ‘five-ball’ hilt, fluted ivory grip interrupted by a gilt-brass band engraved with the owner’s initials ‘REV’ (gilding worn) 81.5 cm; 32 ⅛ in blade £300-500 323 A SCOTTISH OFFICER’S BROADSWORD, LATE 18TH/19TH CENTURY with broad double-edged blade inscribed ‘Runkel’ within a short fuller on each face, gilt-brass basket-hilt of rounded bars carrying alternating slender rectangular and near squareshaped panels, fluted bun-shaped pommel, and wire-bound fishskin-covered grip (some repairs and cracks, losses) 84.0 cm; 33 in blade £400-600
324 A NAVAL OFFICER’S SWORD FOR A MIDSHIPMAN OR WARRANT OFFICER, EARLY 19TH CENTURY with lightweight regulation blade with traces of crowned ‘GR’ cypher, brass stirrup hilt engraved with a fouled anchor on the langets, stepped pommel and sharkskin-covered grip, with its locket inscribed ‘Read Sword Cutler Portsmouth’ 71.5 cm; 28 ¼ in blade £120-180 325 TWO COURT SWORDS, 20TH CENTURY the first with hollow-ground triangular blade, burnished iron hilt including down-turned shell-guard, fluted pommel, integral grip, in its scabbard, the second with brass hilt including down-turned shell-guard cast with a crown in low relief the first: 78.0 cm; 30 ¾ in blade (2) £150-250 109