Pattern 1896 Mountain Artillery sword, for all ranks, 1916.
Blade is curved, flat backed with a double edge, and engraved with the maker’s name, Wilkinson, dated 1916 and bearing the letters, I S D; steel stirrup (?) guard; cast iron grip.
These units carried short, curved swords as they were less cumbersome then straight swords when firing the small mountain guns; the sword was designed to be worn from a Sam Browne belt and therefore used only for exercises and in the field; in British Units it was obsolete by 1914, however, the Indian Artillery used it throughout World War One (1914-1918).