The sword of Captain William Peel ??? (1 Viewer)

[kogu]

Hello everybody,
When looking at the figure of Royal Navy Captain William Peel from Britains Victoria Cross (Indian Mutiny) series I was kind of confused with the weapon he's holding.
It's a sword, which seems to be more likely to fit to a warrior centuries earlier or even milleniums as for me it is very close to a Roman Gladius.
In the 19th century I would have expected to see more like a saber or so.
Does anybody know if that was a regular issued weapon for the Navy's Officers or rather custommade for Captain William Peel?
Thanks for any info.
Konrad

 

[PolarBear]

Konrad

Here are 2 portraits of Peel. One shows him with the short sword, the other which depicts him during the Indian Mutiny with a long saber. For comparison here is the WB figure. Note his unusual helmet--sort of foreshadows the tropical helmets in the latter 1/2 of the 19th C. Perhaps Ken can clear this up for us.

Randy

 

[PolarBear]

Here are photos of his Naval dirk and sword. Perhaps the WB figure has the dirk in his hand although it looks different in shape?

 

[Spitfrnd]

Konrad

Here are 2 portraits of Peel. One shows him with the short sword, the other which depicts him during the Indian Mutiny with a long saber. For comparison here is the WB figure. Note his unusual helmet--sort of foreshadows the tropical helmets in the latter 1/2 of the 19th C. Perhaps Ken can clear this up for us.

Randy

Interesting, to me that the sword in that WB figure looks just like the short sword Peel is holding in the oval photo you posted.

 

[PolarBear]

Here is a source for these Peel items:

http://www.rogersstudy.co.uk/peel/peel.html

 

[PolarBear]

Here is what appears to be the sword , copied after the Romans like Konrad thought!

Sword Belonging to Captain Sir William Peel

Artist: Henry Wilkinson
Date: 1856
Item No: WPN1137
Neg No: D9620

This sword was carried by Captain Peel during the Indian Mutiny when he was in charge of a Naval Brigade. It is not a regulation pattern Royal Navy sword, but based on a Roman sword that Captain Peel had copied. He was wearing this sword at the relief of Lucknow in 1858.


From National Maritime Museum

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/searchbin/searchs.pl?exhibit=it1442z&axis=1219923635&flash=&dev=

 

[PolarBear]

Here are photos showing the sword, scabbard and helmet as seen on the WB figure. Note WB scabbard differs from photo of actual sword scabbard in the previous photo.

Randy

 

[kogu]

Well, Randy,
it can't get anymore precise then what you did here
Your response time and research depth & volume is simply impressive.
Thanks so much for putting all this together and I am glad to learn that it was an individually created weapon just for Captain Peel. I like that.
Konrad

 

[PolarBear]

Well, Randy,
it can't get anymore precise then what you did here
Your response time and research depth & volume is simply impressive.
Thanks so much for putting all this together and I am glad to learn that it was an individually created weapon just for Captain Peel. I like that.
Konrad

Konrad

It was fun and I learned a lot too about the figure. Do you have the whole Naval Brigade artillery set to go with Peel? it looks like a gorgeous set.

Randy

 

[theBaron]

If I'm not mistaken, Union artillery also carried a sidearm that was patterned after the Roman gladius, but with an eagle's head for the pommel. I don't think it was replaced not long after it was first introduced, because it wasn't as pratical as longer blades were.

Prost!
Brad

 

[WBritain]

Hi Guys:

Randy beat me to the punch! An excellent book that gave me much insight into Peel and the Naval Brigade was - "The Devil's Wind - The Story of the Naval Brigade at Lucknow", Major-General G.L. Verney, Hutchinson, London, 1956.

Happy hunting.

Richard