Carlsons RAIDERS Bowie Knife Used by RNZAF NEW ZEALAND Air Force Survival BOWIE
ULTRA RARE Royal New Zealand Air Force Ersatz manufacture WW2 era BOWIE Style SURVIVAL KNIFE. Contract-manufactured Aircrew survival and fighting knife. The ONLY DIFFERENCE between this knife and the Carlson Raider knife is that the Carlson knife had its hilt painted GREEN where as our one had plain Alloy. The Alloy itself was obtained from melted-down WW2 aircraft as New Zealand HAD NO SOURCE of Aluminium (likely to be Duralium). The knife itself is entirely UNMARKED (As were the Carlsons Raider Knives).
The VERY SCARCE Alloy & Steel Bowie was based on the V-44 fighting knife made in USA for the bloody Pacific Theatre fighting during WW2 by CASE Knife Company, The COLLINS Company of Hartford Connecticut, and to a lesser extent by the Western Cutlery Company of Boulder, Colorado. Additionally to the above i have found the below quote on a forum. I personally have little knowledge of this knife, but I remember seeing it in Cole's book III.On page 176 and 177, there is a picture of Evans C. Carlson, the son of the famed Evans F. Carlson of the Carlson Raiders holding your knife. He had received a letter requesting information on this knife and here is what he wrote. This was a rough copy of the so-called'Gung Ho' knife issued in the Battalion which I had manufactured in New Zealand for personnel of the 1st Bn.
21st Marines, in the summer of 1943. The blade was made of Australian carbon steel and the handle was die cast of aluminum alloy. About 1,000 were produced.Most of these made it through the war or were sent home a souvenirs. The "case" of which he spoke is a plain heavy leather sheath similar to the Western "V-44".
The item "Carlsons RAIDERS Bowie Knife Used by RNZAF NEW ZEALAND Air Force Survival BOWIE" is in sale since Sunday, October 11, 2020. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\Great Britain\Edged Weapons". The seller is "boyd9211" and is located in Nelson. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: New Zealand
- Theme: Militaria
- Modified Item: No
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Conflict: WW II (1939-45)