Webley .455 inch Mk VI service revolver, 1915

Webley service revolver with lanyard, marked to 2nd Lieutenant J Smith, Royal Engineers, 1915.

The Webley revolver was the standard pistol used by British and Commonwealth officers from the 1880s until the 1960s. During World War One (1914-1918) most British officers carried the standard-issue .455 inch Webley Mark IV, V or VI variants. These weapons were also issued to machine gun and tank crews, airmen and naval boarding parties. As well as personal protection revolvers were also used in trench raiding where restricted spaces could make the use of a rifle and bayonet difficult.