Canada. Memorial Bar & Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

Item #C4922

$1,080

Canada. Memorial Bar & Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles

Birks Bar (sterling silver, officially engraved (RFN. W.J. BIGURSKI / R. WPG. RIF. / DIED IN HIS COUNTRY'S SERVICE / 3 JAN. 1944), the bar attached to one of the scabbard straps of a Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife via two copper wires, the folder for the bar independent); Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (fine polished steel blade, magnetic, measuring 170 mm in length, with semi-sharp edges and a very sharp tip, solid magnetic metal crossguard, stamped with the British Broad Arrow and marked "ENGLAND" above "B2" on the crossguard, with ribbed grip on the bronze handle, domed "skull-cracker" pommel, knife measuring 292 mm in length overall, in its supple leather scabbard, with a blackened bronze chape, two horizontal straps on the back, scabbard measuring 48 mm x 330 mm); a Typed Note Accompanying the Knife (written by his mother, addressed to his sister, Loraine, inscribed "Loraine, Some of Walters Chums presented me with this knife at his funeral service. I want you to have it. Mum"); a Royal Winnipeg Rifles Cap Badge (silvered die-stamped white metal, unmarked, 45 mm x 51 mm, intact lugs and pin); and a Photo Collage (includes six photos - a studio portrait of the bust of Bigurski in uniform, three of soldiers taken during his interment at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey (each of which is inscribed in blue ink on the reverse: "PTE W.J. BIGURSKI / BUGLER SOUNDING 'LAST POST' ", "PTE W.J. BIGURSKI / BURIAL PARTY / OFFICER IN CHARGE / LT G.A. STEWART (RWR)", "PTE W.J. BIGURSKI / INTERNMENT / BROOKWOOD / SURREY"), the other two taken at his grave site (his cross inscribed "PRIVATE W.J. BIGURSKI / CANADIAN ARMY / 3.1.44"), along with his Medals Award Slip (named to "H-42175, Pte. W.J. BIGURSKI)); along with three Newspaper Clippings.

 
Footnote: Walter Jack Bigurski was born on June 28, 1922, in St. Norbert, Manitoba, the son of John Bigurski and Mary Bigurski. He had four sisters and was educated in St. Norbert, the family later moving to St. Germain, Manitoba. He enlisted as a Private (H/42175) with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in June 1942 and trained in Winnipeg, Manitoba and in Nova Scotia. He went overseas in April 1943, where he transferred to the Provost Corps. H/42175 Private Walter Jack Bigurski, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, died on January 3, 1944. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Brookwood, Surrey, United Kingdom, thirty miles from London, Grave Reference: 44. A. 7. and is commemorated on page 250 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.