Mark V British wire cutters
In the early years of the First World War, the battlefield was transformed by the widespread deployment of barbed wire, a deceptively simple obstacle that drastically hindered troop movements and made assaults across No Man’s Land a deadly ordeal. Artillery bombardment proved ineffective at clearing wire entanglements, and so armies turned to manual solutions—and among them, wire cutters.
One of the primary designs employed by the British Army from 1912 was the Mark V wire cutter. This tool measured approximately 11 inches, weighed around one and a half pounds, and featured a sophisticated three-position cutting head designed to amplify leverage, allowing soldiers to slice through steel wire with greater force than by brute strength alone. Many firms manufactured this Mk V pattern, including Bradbury.
Wire cutters manufactured by Bradbury typically bear the stamp “BRADBURY” along with a production date such as 1915 or 1916. They were constructed from all-steel and featured the hallmark three-jaw apparatus distinctive to the Mk V design. These tools were compact, rugged, and designed for portability, enabling soldiers to carry them easily while traversing the difficult terrain of trench warfare.
Wire cutters like these were broadly issued to British infantry and pioneer units, particularly to wiring parties—specialized teams responsible for breaching enemy wire obstacles, often under cover of darkness. These teams played a vital role in preparing the battlefield ahead of attacks, cutting through enemy entanglements or repairing their own. The work was slow, silent, and extremely dangerous, often conducted under threat of enemy fire or patrols.
While the exact number of Bradbury-made wire cutters produced during the war is not known due to incomplete wartime records, it is clear that production was substantial, given their frequent appearance in surviving collections and photographs. These cutters were a critical part of a soldier’s toolkit during trench raids and preparations for major offensives.
As the war progressed, enemy defenses grew more sophisticated, particularly with the use of thicker and more resilient wire. The limitations of the Mk V design began to show. Its short handles made it difficult to generate sufficient force against hardened steel wire, especially under pressure in combat conditions. By 1916, longer and more robust folding wire cutters were introduced to improve efficiency, though the Mk V remained in use throughout the war and even saw limited use into the Second World War.
In practice, the wire cutter’s effectiveness varied. Some soldiers found them difficult to use under combat conditions, particularly in frozen ground or against high-tensile German wire. In some cases, the tool was used not so much to cut the wire cleanly but to clamp and hold it steady while another soldier finished the job by hand.
