Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Australian Army Bolo Pattern Machete

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Subcollections

Edged Weapons, Swords, Bayonets, Knives and Tools

Overview

The most common style of machete issued to the Australian Army during World War 2 was the British "Bolo" style. It had an overall lenght of 51 cm and a blade of 36 cm. Scabbards were either leather or canvass.

Historical information

In both civilain and military use the machete is extremely versatile, tool as both a knife and an ax. The machete blade is used for cutting, while the weighted upper blade provides force for chopping.
During operations in New Guinea and the South West Pacific a primary use was clearing paths, blazing new trails and clearing brush for lines of sight. It was also used to chop prepare wood for fuel, husk coconuts and cut and prepare native fruit. Machetes were also used as a butchering tool for meat rations

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-55-577

Contextual Information

A display of military knives and machetes used by the Australian Army, both issue and private patterns may be found in the Pacific Islands section of the World War 2 Gallery. All edged weapons, including bayonets, knives and swords in the collection of the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia are physically secured within locked display cases.

Links to additional resources

Whittingslowe Knives

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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