✅ SOLVED Interesting sword hunt

[Cruros]

I'd like to start by saying I do NOT believe my family's story about the sword, or at the very least, they are wrong about what it is. What this is, and what it is worth, is why I am finally hunting down these answers.

The short story goes; my great-grandfather brought the sword home from Northern-Africa during WW2. It is said that he pulled it off of a German officer (no idea the rank).

Thus, my family believes it to be a German officer's sword. I seem to think it is more of a Mediterranean, African or maybe Middle Eastern Nimcha or something similar.

The sheath and the sword both have a capital A on them. Next to that, there appears to be an arrow with a crown above it.
The sword also has some numbering that seems to say "1316r" on the other side of the blade, and next to that is has (I think) some Arabic lettering and what appear to be a bird, a phoenix or perhaps a tree. Attached are the picture of these.

I don't believe it is a German sword at all, let alone an officer's sword.

Any help is appreciated! A value would be interesting as well.

Thanks!

 

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[recondigger]

I'm almost sure its not a German military sword but he could very well have got it off a German Soldier that had it with him.

 

[Cruros]

Which is the same thought that I was having recondigger. Thanks. Hopefully someone knows the marks and I can finally explain to my family that it is not German.

 

[recondigger]

i'm doing some looking to but I'm no sword expert

 

[kuger]

Buckleboy on here has a really good link to a sword collectors forum that I bet could help,too

 

[nhbenz]

I think it's a Russian Kindjal or Kinjal. I think I see a double headed eagle, which although used by nations other than Russia, I think in the context of the form of the sword I'd think Russian.

 

[nhbenz]

Possibly 1916, rather than that number being 1316?

Updated -- I believe the above is correct: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/15596085_kindjal

 

[Cruros]

I believe we have a winner! All of the marking match.

Thank you so much! So it MAY have been a Russian officer, which would be much more likely than a German officer. I know Russia did have troops in Norther Africa where my G-Grand father as fighting.

Thank you so much nhbenz!

 

[recondigger]

looks like a match nice going so he could have gotten off a German Soldier that took it from a Russian Soldier that is a cool story

 

[Cruros]

That is a possibility recondigger. That would be a very cool story. Sadly, he passed away before I was born so I will never know.

The number is definitely 1916r after looking at it under a magnifying glass.

Now I am going to see what I can learn about it and what it is worth.

Thanks again. I really appreciate the help.

 

[yaxthri]

Yeah, that's a cossack long knife a caucasian "kindjal", nhbenz named it.
It's the curved variation, here are some dudes sporting the straight "original" design




Print Post - kindzhal - hard to find this knife -

The story could be far more complicated though.
That is a doubleheaded eagle on it, the cossack troops were enlisted in the Czar's army as a regular unit, one of his favourites and they were loyal to him until the Bolshevik Revolution.
Your grandfather could very well have taken it from a German officer and I think it's plausible that the German had received it from a cossack, they were infamous for their affiliation with the Germans in WW2 (scroll down to "cossacks" here: www.canadiansoldiers.com , they hated the Bolsheviks as they stayed loyal to the Czar even after his death) or maybe the officer was a cossack himself...

 

[Tnmountains]

Try Michael D Long

Antique arms, armour, military swords, uniforms, German daggers and more - michaeldlong.com

Check in edged weapons. I have done business with them in the past and if of any value they may be interested. I have only purchased though.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Russian Kindjal Sword

 

[NOLA_Ken]

During the war there were actually Cossack units fighting on the German side, mainly on the Eastern Front in Bosnia and Yugoslavia as "Anti-Partisan" units, but I believe it's possible that some were also sent to Africa. Most were Russian Cossack divisions that defected to the German side during the war, (starting in 1941) but many were ethnic German Cossacks as well. There were originally two divisions but in 1945 they were combined into the 15th SS Cossack Cavalry. It's entirely possible that your sword came from a German Cossack officer, as they carried mainly Russian weapons and gear as well as their own traditional weapons. It's a shame you don't have more information on it, but that's how it goes with war trophies most times. If for example you had the name of the soldier it belonged to or even just his regiment and where it was taken it would increase the value both in money and in the history behind the item. If the owner had been part of the 15th SS Cossack Cavalry I can see it bringing a premium price (but being picked up in North Africa rules that out since the fighting there pretty much ended in 1943) It's more likely that he was part of one of the original two divisions, and an Ethnic German since I really doubt that any of the Russian Cossacks would have been sent to Africa. Cossack items from WW2 are fairly rare, and I haven't seen a lot of them, partly because there weren't a lot of them (maybe a couple hundred thousand, I can't remember offhand) but also because at the end of the war, they surrendered to the British, who then despite promising not to, turned them over to the Russians. The entire officers corps were executed for treason and the rest of the ranks were sent to labor camps never to be seen again. They surrendered to the British in Austria, so it's possible that somewhere in Austria there is a long forgotten room full of Cossack gear, but I'd imagine it was all scrapped, or buried in a landfill after the war.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Cossacks fought on both sides of that war...as did most of the occupied countries.

 

[Cruros]

Wow! Certainly more information than I could have imagined learning about this weapon. Thanks again everyone.