Kukri and Scabbard : Squadron Leader M C C Cotton, RAAF, 17 Squadron RAF

Kukri with a hilt that has a carved wooden grip encasing the tang back from the ferrule and no crossguard. It has a 15mm band at the mid-point of the grip with a carved ornamental star and zigzag pattern. Beneath this is a carved flange which flares out from the grip. It is chipped in three places. The grip flares to a disc shaped flat pommel. The pommel has been chipped at a point aligned with the back of the blade. The blade is forward angled, single edge. There are no maker or other distinguishing marks. The leather scabbard has two built in smaller pockets, and another small pouch sewn onto the exterior of the scabbard over the pockets. One of these pockets contains a small sharpener which has a bare tang with resin residue. The small pouch contains a removable, leather, lining sleeve.

This kukri belonged to 407041 Squadron Leader M C C Cotton DFC, RAAF. When the donor was Commanding Officer of 17 Squadron RAF, in Burma and India in 1942-1943, the pilots were issued with an escape kit which included the kukri. He ordered that a fabric harness be made for his pilots, that would enable them to carry this equipment without it obstructing their movements in the cockpits of the Hurricane 2c fighter aircraft they were equipped with. The kukri was worn aligned with the spine of the pilot underneath his parachute, with the handle protruding above. The harness which the kukri and its scabbard fitted into was designed not to hinder the operation of the parachute. A pilot could use the kukri to hack his way through the jungle if he was forced to bale-out, or crashed. The kukri was favoured over other types of similar knives because it was small enough to be comfortable to carry down a pilot's back, yet very effective in operation. According to the donor, the two small pockets in the side of the kukri scabbard were for two whet stones for sharpening the blade but these were never present in any of the kukris issued to the squadron. (However, one of these sharpeners was found deep inside one of the small pockets by Australian War Memorial staff but it had no handle and was not easily detectible). The donor also claims there was nothing in the small pouch also attached to the scabbard, other than the sleeve mentioned in the description.