These scabbards were manufactured by the Germans for the thousands of Russian bayonets which they captured. The Russians themselves did not issue scabbards, as their bayonets were carried fixed to the rifle.

During the First World War Ireland was still a united country. However, there were religious and cultural tensions which the Germans realised they could capitalise on to distract the British war effort.

In 1916, the Germans attempted to deliver 20,000 Mosin-Nagant rifles captured from the Russians, ten machine guns and a large quantity of ammunition to Ireland to support republicans in the Easter Rising. The weapons were to be smuggled on board a German vessel, SMS Libau, masquerading as a Norwegian steamer, the SS Aud. 

The arms delivery did not go according to plan and on 22 April 1916 the Aud was intercepted by the Royal Navy. The crew of the Aud scuttled her in Cork Harbour and were interned for the rest of the war.

The wreck was subsequently destroyed, but not before Royal Navy divers had recovered some of its cargo, including these objects.