A British cavalry officer's sword, 1896 pattern, by Wilkinson and dating to 1907. Featuring their Patent Solid Hilt and having the hexagonal proof slug, indicating their 'best quality' etching and blade proofing standard. Together with its scabbard, they have been refurbished professionally in the past. According to the proof book record, this sword was purchased by H W Carson of the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1907, but is etched with the initials A.H.S.W. These are presumed to stand for Sir Arnold Horace Santo Waters, VC, CBE, DSO, MC (23 September 1886 – 22 January 1981), Royal Engineers. Waters was acting Major in the 218th Field Company, Corps of Royal Engineers, during the First World War at the second battle of the Sambre when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC: "On 4 November 1918 near Ors, France, Major Waters, with his Field Company, was bridging the Oise-Sambre Canal under artillery and machine-gun fire at close range, the bridge being damaged and the building party suffering severe casualties. All Major Waters' officers had been killed or wounded and he at once went forward and personally supervised the completion of the bridge, working on cork floats while under such intense fire that it seemed impossible that he could survive. The success of the operation was entirely due to his valour and example."  (1)