Royal Dockyard Battalion sword. Solid half-basket hilted sword, the hilt of the sword consists of a gilt half-basket guard with raised bars and a crown and anchor badge. The sword has a lion's-head pommel and back-piece, the mane extends the length of the back-piece. The white fish-skin grip is bound with three gilt wires.

The slightly curved steel blade is flat-backed, with one broad shallow groove and a double-edged spear point. The blade is inscribed with the words 'ROYAL DOCKYARD BATTn.' along with a crown and foul anchor motif and the words 'Henry Wilkinson Pall Mall London' above the Royal cypher 'VR'. The black leather scabbard has one gilt locket with two rings and chape. The sword comes complete with a sword belt of the 1847 pattern: the alteration of the scabbard fittings of this new pattern sword, with only one locket having rings on each side, necessitated an alteration in the slings of the waist belt. Two short slings, each 178mm long took the place of the two long slings of differing lengths of the 1833 pattern. The sword therefore hung vertically, instead of at an angle as was formerly the case.

In 1847 it was feared that Great Britain was in danger of invasion from the French and a Royal Commission was appointed which subsequently recommended an expenditure of £10,000,000 on defending the country's naval arsenals. In the same year, the Admiralty organised the men of each dockyard into the Royal Dockyard Battalions to be commanded by the officers of the several yards. The corps were duly supplied with uniforms and arms and were exercised after working hours, the men being paid 6d (2p) an hour. The life of the Battalion was short-lived and after a while it was disbanded.