Antique obsolete calibre (.577/ 450).
Carbine artillery version well marked to stock and lug. Complete with a superb Martini-Henry bayonet and scabbard (Aspinshaw, 2019: 221). The Martini–Henry is a breech-loading single-shot rifle with a lever action that was used by the British Army. It first entered service in 1871, eventually replacing the Snider–Enfield, a muzzle-loader converted to the cartridge system. Martini–Henry variants were used throughout the British Empire for 47 years (Aspinshaw, 2019: 96-100).
Stock Plug Detail
- Corp Prefix: Royal Artillery
- County Mark: Donegal
- Rack number: 224
(Aspinshaw, 2019: 248-249)
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Donegal Royal Artillery History
Crimean War 09/1855-09/1856
Second Boer War 02/05/1900-06/11/1900
Five officers and one-hundred and forty-four other ranks served in South Africa, embarking in March, 1900. Along with the Antrim Artillery Service Company, they formed a Brigade Division, Irish Militia Artillery. The company left Kimberley, headed for Cape Town and Ireland, on 7 June 1901. Casualties in South Africa were one officer, two Corporals, and one Gunner died of disease. Captain FH Crawford, Acting Sergeant-Major CW Holt, and Sergeant J. Clark were mentioned -in-despatches. Acting Sergeant-Major CW Holt was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.