Latest news with #dagger
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The knife wielded by real-life SAS Rogue Heroes soldier against Hitler's troops in WWII
A prized dagger which is said to have belonged to a founding member of the SAS has emerged for sale for £7,000. American-born Major Charles 'Pat' Riley, who was played by actor Jacob Ifan in the hit BBC series SAS: Rogue Heroes, was one of the elite soldiers who formed what was then the L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade in 1941. He fought alongside the legendary Paddy Mayne and carried the lethal weapon behind enemy lines during sabotage missions against the Germans and Italians. His Fairbairn Sykes commando knife, which has a 7ins double-edged blade, is etched with the words 'F-S Fighting Knife' and has a brown leather sheath. It would have been used by Major Riley during heartpounding close quarters combat. Major Riley's dagger has remained in his family for more than 80 years but is now being sold by his granddaughter at auctioneers Bishop & Miller, of Stowmarket, Suffolk. The vendor said her mother kept it under her mattress before she inherited it five years ago. Paul Walsham, militaria and medals specialist at Bishop & Miller, said: 'This Fairbairn Sykes knife is iconic in its own right as a symbol of the British commandos and special forces in the Second World War. 'It was likely carried by Pat Riley during some of the seminal operations of the fledgling Special Air Service Regiment. 'Pat Riley was one of the original founding members of 'L' Detachment, SAS Brigade, formed by David Stirling, a small formation, later expanded to a strength of five regiments due to the success of those early pioneers. 'Riley, characterised by his guts and determination never to give up, whatever the odds, is an absolute legend in the annals of the Special Air Service Regiment and his legacy survives to this day.' Major Riley, who was born in the US state of Wisconsin in 1915, moved at the age of seven with his family to Haltwhistle, Cumbria. He joined the Coldstream Guards in 1939 and was sent to the Western Desert in Egypt in 1941. He and three comrades paved the way for formation of the SAS when they launched a surprise raid by going under the wire and infiltrating the enemy position with great success. The quartet became known as the Tobruk Four and were asked to join the SAS by legendary Colonel Sir David Stirling. In January 1942 Colonel Stirling identified Bouerat Harbour as an important location to supply Rommel's forces and tasked the L Detachment with blowing up enemy ships, petrol dumps and tankers. The raiding party consisted of 16 men split into two groups, with Maj Riley leading one of them. As they made their way to Bouerat, his men were spotted by an enemy plane and shot at, with rocks they were hiding behind being shattered into tiny pieces. After being sited the group were subjected to bombing and strafing by more planes for several hours but escaped unscathed. Undaunted, Maj Riley led his six men into Bouerat at just after midnight on January 23 and they had two hours to carry out the mission, setting the explosives for 2.30am. Their biggest feat was attaching bombs to 18 large petrol carriers that were full with tens of thousands of gallons of fuel. At 2.30am, while the raiding party made their escape, the desert sky lit up from the explosions. As they sped off into the night in a truck they were ambushed by four Italian guards who peppered the vehicle with machine gun fire at point-blank range. The truck driver ploughed through the bullets and mowed down the guards in the process. Major Riley's recommendation for the DCM was published in the London Gazette in November 1942. It read: 'By skilled and daring leadership he succeeded in bluffing the enemy sentries. Thereby he avoided giving any alarm which would have interfered with the work of other parties operating in the same area. He has shown the greatest gallantry and the highest qualities of leadership.' In September 1943, the SAS landed at Bagnara on the Italian mainland, securing a bridgehead for the main landing. The raid on Termoli was followed by fierce fighting with German troops from the 16th Panzer Division. With complete carnage raging in the town Paddy Mayne decided at this point to engage in a game of billiards in an abandoned palazzo with Maj Riley, Bill Frazer and Phil Gunn. Major Riley later recalled: 'He just carried on with the game, I thought to myself, Well if you can do it chum, I'll do it with you. And we did. 'We finished the game, and then went outside to get things sorted.' Major Riley left the Army in 1945 and joined Cambridgeshire police but found it too sedate and so volunteered as a Captain with the Malayan Regiment. He was based in the Far East until 1959. After leaving the Army again, he ran the Dolphin Hotel pub in Colchester, Essex, and then retired to Hastings, East Sussex in 1980. His wife, Kaye, died in 1996 and he passed away in 1999 aged 84. The vendor, in a letter of provenance, said: 'Many years ago my Granddad Pat gave the knife to my mother who always kept it under her mattress.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Door-to-door salesman, 'enamored' with knives, gets 20 years in Jackson man's death
TOMS RIVER - Despite a door-to-door salesman's continued claims he was defending himself during an altercation with a Jackson homeowner in 2022, a judge sentenced him May 29 to 20 years in prison for plunging an unlawful, double-sided dagger with serrated blades through the victim's carotid artery, killing him. In imposing the prison term on Michael Tsamas for the aggravated manslaughter of Joseph Delgardio, Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan noted Tsamas, 35, of Laurence Harbor, admitted that he regularly armed himself with two daggers for protection. Tsamas used one of the unlawful weapons as a first rather than last resort during a physical altercation with Delgardio, 44, who was unarmed and smaller than the younger Tsamas, Ryan said. "It's a weapon of last resort, when you're literally on the brink of death," the judge said of the dagger. Tsamas, despite his claims of self defense, "resorted to it first," Ryan said. Tsamas would have been justified in shoving or punching Delgardio, but not using deadly force, the judge said. "If someone pushes or shoves you, you can't shoot him, you can't stab him in the neck,'' Ryan said. Tsamas stood trial before Ryan in March. The jury rejected his claim of self-defense and found him guilty of aggravated manslaughter and weapons offenses The deadly scuffle occurred on May 26, 2022, after Tsamas paid a sales call to Delgardio's home on West Veterans Highway in Jackson as the victim, his wife and two of their three daughters were having dinner. Jaime Delgardio, the victim's wife, testified during the four-day trial that Tsamas told them he worked for Verizon and offered them a $100 gift card and a discount on their monthly electric bill. Jaime Delgardio testified she became suspicious that Tsamas was trying to scam them, so she and her husband asked the salesman to leave. Tsamas did, but not before the Delgardios gave him their Jersey Central Power & Light Co. account number, Jaime Delgardio testified. Minutes later, she said her husband went out to look for Tsamas in order to retrieve their account number. When she went to look for her husband, Jaime Tsamas said a police officer intercepted her and informed her he had died in a fatal altercation up the street. Key evidence introduced at the trial was a 19-second video of the incident at West Veterans Highway and Conor Road that an unidentified person recorded and posted to SnapChat. It showed Tsamas, instead of defending himself with two hands during the scuffle with Delgardio, reaching one hand behind his back to grab the dagger and remove it from its sheath before plunging it into the victim's neck, Ryan noted. Tsamas did not testify at the trial, but the jury viewed a police body-camera video on which Tsamas told an officer Delgardio had threatened to kill him. Before Tsamas was sentenced, he described "being trapped and having someone tell me multiple times they were going to kill me. "I felt my life was in danger, there was nothing more to it than that,'' Tsamas said. "I'm deeply sorry for how all this ended,'' he said. Ryan clarified that Tsamas told police during a taped interview after the altercation that Delgardio said he would kill him if he got a bill in the mail. "That's not an immediate threat of death or serious injury,'' Ryan said. "It wasn't a death threat,'' the judge said. "It was at best the type of thing people do when they get frustrated. "The defendant is the architect of this situation,'' Ryan said. "The defendant is the one who caused this to escalate to deadly force.'' Tsamas, in addressing the judge before sentencing, reiterated he regularly carried the two daggers for protection. In a 10-page letter to the judge, Tsamas expressed interests in the Second Amendment right to bear arms, survival and emergency preparedness, Ryan said. He also expressed concerns about "violence in society and the need to protect himself,'' the judge said. In the letter, Tsamas told the judge he preferred double-edged blades "to give my life the greatest fighting chance to survive,'' Ryan said. "You're not camping in the woods, you're not fighting off bear,'' Ryan told the defendant. "You're walking door-to-door.'' The judge told Tsamas a small can of pepper spray would have been the appropriate thing for him to carry for self defense. "This defendant is enamored with these bladed instruments and resorted to them far too fast,'' Ryan said. Delgardio bled to death from the neck wound, which severed his carotid artery and cut into his vertebrae, Ryan said. "Because of this man, I can never have my father back,'' Gabriella Delgardio, one of the victim's three daughters, told the judge. "This man stole every moment of time I can have with my dad,'' she said. "Why should he get off with a light sentence when he stole a father from his family?'' The victim's widow described her husband as "a hard-working, simple man'' and "someone you could count on.'' She said he was peaceful and did not deserve to die. "Joe was a good man, a loyal husband and I can't begin to tell you how amazing he was to our kids,'' Jaime Delgardio said. Victoria Veni, an assistant Ocean County prosecutor who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O'Neill, asked the judge to sentence Tsamas to 25 years in prison. Defense attorney Chip Dunne asked the judge to impose the minimum sentence of 10 years. The maximum term for aggravated manslaughter is 30 years. In sentencing Tsamas to 20 years in prison, Ryan ordered that he serve 85 percent of the term before he can be considered for release on parole, under the state's No Early Release Act. Ryan also rejected a motion for a new trial, put forth by the defense attorney. "This is the epitome of self-defense,'' Dunne argued. "The jury misinterpreted the facts. They missed the ball on this case.'' Dunne also said a new trial was warranted because one of the jurors fell asleep during the case. Ryan said that should have been brought to his attention during the trial so that the juror could be questioned and possibly replaced with an alternate. The judge also said he kept a close watch on the jurors during the trial and did not see any of them fall asleep. Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Salesman gets 20 years in Jackson man's stabbing death
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists discover 'b******s' dagger at Swedish fortress...with a distinctively-shaped hilt
A team of archaeologists have made a very cheeky discovery in the remains of a 14th-century Swedish fortress. Researchers discovered a 'b******s' dagger, also known as a ballock or bollock dagger, with a very distinctively-shaped hilt. But this unique weapon's shape was no accident, as it was deliberately carved to resemble male genitals and suggestively worn at the front of the belt. However, despite being a raunchy medieval joke, this strange weapon also suggests the area's violent history. This phallic weapon was found in the remains of Gullberg Fortress, which sits on a cliff overlooking the Göta River in modern-day Gothenburg. Originally constructed in the 14th century, Gullberg Fortress was a site of frequent bloody battles up until the 18th century. The broken ballock dagger was found alongside crossbow bolts, arrowheads, and a round lead bullet, suggesting they may have been left there after an attempt to invade the area. These daggers' rounded spheres would have provided extra grip to push these brutal weapons through the cracks in fallen enemies' armour. Anders Altner, an archaeologist from the State Historical Museums, says: 'The early medieval fortresses that existed on Gullberget were built as a counter-defence against the nearby Danish-Norwegian castles on Hisingen and when the Danes controlled Älvsborg Castle. 'The same also applies to 16th-century Gullberg.' Gullberg Fortress was initially made up of a simple blockhouse surrounded by a palisade wall built during the early 1400s by King Birger Magnusson. It continually expanded over the years as successive rulers added more fortifications, reaching its peak under the reign of Karl IX of Sweden in the 16th century. Finally, after being destroyed and rebuilt twice, the Gullberg hill was cleared to make way for the 'Skansen Lejonet' fort, which still stands today. However, beneath the more recent construction, the site still bears the scars of medieval battles. 'We didn't think there would be as much left as there was,' says Mr Anders. 'The basement room was particularly exciting, with a well-preserved staircase, floor and parts of the walls and ceiling still intact.' The archaeologists discovered a number of cannonballs, crossbow bolts, arrows, as well as the ballock dagger, suggesting this was a site of frequent military action. Guidebooks on armoured fighting published from the 1400s show that these knives were used to deliver the killing blow to armoured combatants who had fallen. They were also frequently carried as a backup weapon for archers and foot soldiers who would otherwise fight with swords or spears. Yet the researchers also found fascinating signs of civilian life, including stoppers for beer barrels, a carved sundial, and a device for scattering sand over written pages to prevent wet ink from smudging. Despite their strange appearance and military uses, the ballock dagger was also an important part of the everyday life of the people who lived at this time. Ballock daggers are a common style of knife that was worn widely across Northern Europe, including Britain, from the 1300s up until the 1800s. Although they were used by soldiers, these knives were also worn by large numbers of civilians, especially during the Tudor period. In Britain, it was illegal for anyone other than the nobility to carry swords in public, so most adult men would carry a knife such as a ballock dagger. A large number of ballock daggers and their leather sheaves were found in the wreck of the Tudor warship The Mary Rose, where they would have been both weapons and useful tools. It was considered fashionable to wear a dagger as part of everyday attire, and a ballock dagger would have often been worn slung from the belt in a leather sheaf. At a time when cutlery was expensive, men also carried the daggers as part of an eating set for use at mealtimes. Some surviving sheaves even have pockets for a fork or small set of tools, suggesting they were part of everyday wear. As for their unique shape, archaeologists believe this was primarily determined by fashion, with their suggestive handle jutting forward from between the legs in a dirty joke and display of virility. HOW THE MARY ROSE WAS SALVAGED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLENT The vessel, Henry VIII's flagship, was put on display in the Mary Rose museum exactly 471 years after it perished in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour, on July 19, 1545. The Mary Rose sank in battle with the French, killing more than 500 men. Incredibly, the starboard hull remained intact by being embedded in mud on the seabed, which prevented it from being eroded by tides and bacteria. For decades, it was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5°C (41°F). That process, along with a series of wax chemicals, were used to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity. Then, in 1985, the ship was turned upright and titanium props were installed to support the internal structure and work was undertaken to remove as much sediment as possible. From 1994, active conservation commenced with the spraying of Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), a water-soluble polymer which can penetrate deep into the wood and support the cell walls. Then, in April 2013, the Peg sprays were turned off and the hull was kept in a state of controlled air-drying phase 100 tonnes of water during the next four to five years. Once drying was complete, the internal walls surrounding the hull were removed so visitors would be able to see a completely unobstructed view of the hull. However, the drying process has caused unwanted movement which they are now monitoring with special cameras as they try to prop up the ship using scaffolding.
