Trench art knife

[Captain]

Just photographed this little one for my records and thought I would share with you all.
I bougth this in the 90's from a flea market for a couple of £'s.


My belief it is an Enfield 303 round and dated 1918 the round is spent and has a B and A stamped into the bottom. The casing has the Ypres arms and a scroll bearing the Ypres name. The shell has what looks like a small unnamed blade set into it.
Would like to hear your thoughts and see your trench art knives.
Cheers
Captain

[Time Bandit]

It's not a Lee Enfield .303 round.

Could it be R A rather than B A? Could be a US Remmington made .30 cal from 1918?

[Captain]

Thanks Time Bandit
Had another look at markings could well be R A
Would that make it an american casing?
Cheers

[jabussard]

unusual and interesting!

[gew8805]

It is very interesting, do you have any idea what the crest/shield represents?

The shell is from a US, caliber .30, MkI round, more commonly known as the .30-06 or "thirty ought six" meaning it is .30 caliber and adopted in 1906, originally for the M1903 Springfield Rifle but also used in the Browning Automatic Rifle, the M1917 "Enfield" (modification of the British P14 that had been in production in the US for Great Britain) as well as machine guns. It was the standard US small arms cartridge used form 1906 through WWI and WWII as well as the conflict in Korea and at the beginning of the Viet Nam War in the 1960s. The headstamp on the cartridge case head looks to me to be "F.A. - 18" representing "Frankford Arsenal, 1918".

[Moonz]

It is very interesting, do you have any idea what the crest/shield represents?

It's part of the Coat of Arms of the town Ypres in Flanders.
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...howtopic=73587

[gew8805]

Thanks, I was getting ready top look through US Army crests to see if that was the origin. It would have taken hours!

Captain, I had intended to compliment you on the knife but got carried away. It is a nice little souvenir and very interesting.

[Captain]

Thanks one and all.
Thank you Moonz for posting the link to crest I thought it was Ypres now confirmed.
Thanks Gew8805 for info on the casing, very intersting reading, so its an American round from the end of WW1. I have no way of knowing who made this and when. I know that a lot of trench art was produced in convelecent hospitals.
I think the blade must be from a little folder, shame no makers name.
It is a very nice little piece, and its a reminder of brave men from another age. If only they could tell thier story?
Any other trench art knives out there?
Cheers again
Captain