Sword and scabbard
1898
Battle of Omdurman sword with Huntley & Palmers scabbard
This sword and scabbard were found on the battlefield of Omdurman in the Sudan. The scabbard has metal bands cut from the bases of Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins, so that the firm's name was prominently displayed.
The battle was part of a British military campaign led by General Herbert Kitchener against Mahdist rule (known as Dervish by the British) in the Sudan because they threatened British strategic interests in the region, following the capture of Khartoum and the death of Major General Charles Gordon three years earlier. The battle took place on 2 September 1898 and the Khalifa Abdullah el Taash was decisively defeated. Winston Churchill was present at the battle, riding with the 21st Lancers. Thousands of Mahdists were killed and while less than a hundred of the British forces (mainly Sudanese and Egyptian soldiers) died. 18 years of war resulted in British colonial control of Sudan.
Museum object number