An 1854 Pattern Sandhurst Prize Sword.
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38 ½” overall with 33 ½” fullered blade, etched ‘Royal Military College Presented To Gentleman Cadet C.71 R.S.F.Walker R.U.O for Exemplary Conduct June 1870’ with scrolling foliage and proof slug to forte, the obverse etched with foliage Crown VR and ‘Wilkinson Pall Mall’, numbered ‘16882’ on the spine. Brass, or possibly bronze, gothic hilt inset with crowned ‘V.R’. Stepped pommel and acanthus backstrap with fish skin and twisted gilt wire grip. In its regulation brass scabbard with two suspension rings.
Dated 1870.
Sword in very good condition: blade with unrubbed etching and most original polish, hilt and scabbard patinated. Gilt on hilt rubbed. It has not been polished for a very long time, scabbard with small dent each side.
Robert Frowd Sandilands Walker played For England in the first three international football matches against Scotland in 1870-71 scoring all England’s goals in the three matches. He was also selected to play rugby for England against Scotland in 1873 but did not play.
In 1874 he transferred to Hong Kong then Singapore where he served until 1910. Despite having officially retired in 1910, RSF Walker was recalled for service in the Great War, and was Commandant of the Alexandra Palace internment camp for German and Austrian nationals when he died of a heart attack in 1917. At 69 he is one of the oldest soldiers commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Debt of Honour database.
Sold with some research.