A LONG-LOST military artefact has been discovered beneath the sands of St Aubin’s Bay.
Detectorist Zoe Vibert, who has spent more than a decade looking for objects around the Jersey coast, made her find while prospecting at low tide near St Aubin’s Fort, and has been able to learn a little more about the possible history of the object.
Fellow beachcombers identified that the artefact was the top of a British Army swagger stick – a type of cane or riding crop carried by senior officers prior to the Second World War.
Swagger sticks, which featured prominently in the TV series Blackadder Goes Forth, were usually made of polished wood or rattan, with metal tops, and were carried by officers as part of their uniform.
Ms Vibert said: ‘It’s pretty tiny, smaller than my thumb, but very heavy for its size and hasn’t rusted, so I’d be 99% sure it’s silver.’
The regimental crest of the South Lancashire Regiment, which was an infantry unit of the British Army between 1881 and 1958, incorporating the Prince of Wales Volunteers, is clearly visible. The discovery has been offered by the finder to the Lancashire Infantry Museum in Preston.
She added: ‘I’ve sent them a note in case they are interested, but if not I’ll keep it for myself.’
Ms Vibert said that beachcombing was her way of relaxing, and that she had a whole treasure trove of objects.
‘It’s a great way of switching off from normal life, and every tide brings new treasures,’ she said.
