Somewhere in my paternal Grandfathers career he acquired a pair of boarding cutlasses. I’ve yet to noodle out when they were actually deemed something that wasn’t a necessary component of ship kit. He started out on the Nevada in ‘35, retired in ‘68.
He was on
Nevada
Vega
Cuyama
S-24
R-2
Philadelphia
Holland
Sturgeon
Henderson
Canopus
Over that career and had postings at:
Norfolk
Panama
San Diego
New London
Honolulu
Midway
Wake
Guam
Manila
Corrigidor
POW
Nice.
I have old family with similar service histories. I’m guessing your Grandad wasn’t quite old enough to have actually needed cutlasses, even as part, maybe, of a dress uni. But in his time frame the Bannerman surplus outfit was in bizness and the stuff could be had very easily. And all those Pacific postings could have put him close to all sorts of wild cutlery. At least he didn’t need the blades on either the S-24 or the Sturgeon. Post-War he could have gotten them at Lai Fong’s in Honolulu?