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For your consideration, you are viewing a piece of Military History, this is a rare Siam (Now Thailand) Type 62 (1907) Sword Bayonet for use with the .303 calibre Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield No. I Mk. III (SMLE) rifle. These bayonets are also affectionately known as the Smiling Tiger Bayonets. The smiling tiger head on the ricasso is the symbol of the Wild Tiger Corps, underneath written in Siamese Script is the Buddhist Year 2462 which corresponds to 1919 in our calendar. Siam's Type 62 is a re-badged British Pattern 1907 bayonet, In 1919, 10,000 of these Pattern 1907 bayonets were purchased alongside SMLE rifles from Britain, specifically to equip the Royal Guards (founded 1 May 1911) by King Vajiravudh Rama VI (1910–1925), The guards were a national paramilitary corps, that was inspired by the British Volunteer Force, which the king had observed during his time in England, while he was being educated at Oxford and Sandhurst. The elite unit was intended to maintain civil order. The royal troops were known as the "Wild Tiger Corps,". The 1907 bayonets were taken from British arsenal stocks, and then refurbished by Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), and stamped with Siamese markings. Originally these type 62 bayonets were shipped with standard MK 1 steel-mounted leather scabbards. However, the leather quickly disintegrated in the tropical environment, the Siamese had to manufacture a replacement steel scabbard body to replace the rotted leather, the metal body was brazed to the original steel mounts. The Wild Tigers were picked from all levels of society, including commoners. King Vajiravudh emphasised that the Wild Tigers were meant to supplement, not replace, the regular armed forces, however, his dedication to the corps led to grievance in both the regular army and the aristocracy and it led to Siam's first-ever attempted military coup. After the attempted coup, the Wild Tigers were quietly disbanded. Although the coup failed, it did inspire the successful revolution that eventually ended the absolute monarchy in 1932. After the attempted coup, the Wild Tigers were quietly disbanded. # The makers and inspection marks are:

• RICASSO: LEFT: "Smiling Tiger Head" over "2462 in Siamese Script" RIGHT: "Crown over ?1 over E" Enfield Inspection Mark - "X" Bending Mark

CONDITION: This bayonet dates to 1919, and it is in good condition for its age and use in warfare. The wood grips are in very good condition with no missing pieces, only some light indent marks and fit tightly to the tang, the release/lock button is in working order. The 43.5 cm blade has a worn-blued finish with scattered spot stains and no pitting. The edge is not sharp and has no dings. The remaining metal on the cross-guards, pommel and mortise has a blued finish with some scuff wear, indents and an aged patina. The brazed metal scabbard has been refurbished and has an applied blackened finish, the body has some dents and creases, and the original metal mounts are firmly attached, and fit tightly together with the bayonet. # Please note that the photographs form part of the description; Super-sized photos are available for viewing in the eBay gallery, to show the finer details and conditions.

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• The lead photo has had the background removed with Photoshop, but all the original untouched photos are included in the listing.
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