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#1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 35
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Hi Everyone,
just recently I bought this item and I think that it is a trenching club of WWI period. At first I thought that it has German origin because of its shape but now I am not sure. On the leather strip fixed to the handle there is a name “EL CID” which is a Spanish national hero who lived in 11th century. That could mean that there was a military formation that had this name or it is a name of the person who owned it. This confused me even more because neither Spain nor Portuguese participated in WWI. As far as I know they remained neutral. I hope you can help me out with this one. Thanks, Aleks |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 51
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I've seen trench clubs with provenance from the Western Front battlefields , now on display in the Australian War Memorial, where the hob-nails of boots have been used for spikes, others wrapped with barb wire, nails and cartridges hammered in to make spikes. Most look crude, but effective bludgeons for trench raids, made in the muddy confines of the trenches. The example you have in the picture may well be authentic, but it looks a bit too neat for a battlefield relic somehow. What are the spikes made of?
interesting topic by the way! Cheers, Bryan. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, Texas USA
Posts: 257
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How do the dimensions compare with this current production item, which looks similar to your club?
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#4 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 35
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I did open a discussion called “maces clubs and other” in Ethnographic Arms Forum. I did mention trenching clubs there but nobody gave me any good answers regarding this exqample. Although, one of the members gave a nice illustration several WWI trenching maces and clubs w one of them had very similar spikes on it. Tell you the truth I am not sure what the spikes are made of on my mace. Thanks, Aleks |
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#5 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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I am kind of disappointed to see this illustration. I have to admit that it does greatly resemble my club. I will take the measurement as soon as I come back home. Thanks, Aleks Last edited by Antique Arsenal; 10th September 2010 at 10:05 PM. |
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#6 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Thanks, Aleks |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 227
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I have seen maces brought back from Spain as souvenirs.
Portugal did take part in WWI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal_in_World_War_I |
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#8 | |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
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You were faster than me ![]() Over a thousand Portuguese died in La Liz, for example. . |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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...bravo.
The Portuguese issue helmet is interesting http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/portugal/por16.htm ... http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=99337 ...said, on the one hand to be based upon a private purchase British officers' model (they were made in the UK), on the other to have derived from a medieval type (?) http://reference.findtarget.com/sear...of%20Portugal/ |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Sep 2008
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A couple of trench clubs top one is Brit private purchase springy one German.
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Thanks, Aleks |
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#12 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Thanks, Aleks |
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#13 |
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Hi everyone I just wanted to post one of the pictures I have of WWI Austrian Club. If you want to I can provide the translation of the text below latter on.
Thanks, Aleks |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
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An Austrian Mace. Austrian Arch-Duke Eugene confessed that his troops on the Italian Front contain special detachments, armed with the special maces (clubs with sharp nails) for the purpose of finishing off Italian soldiers who are discovered to be in a lethargic state, after being poisoned by gas. Famous British journalist Lord Northcliffe, the publisher of the Times, who visited Goritza immediately after it was taken by the Italians, saw these maces, captured from the Austrians.
The Austrian club is pictured atop the Saxon pickelhaube. Good enough for the Russian WWI propaganda, I guess. |
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#15 |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
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Location: Portugal
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O.K. guys,
Sorry for the lack of diplomacy ![]() Now that we all have woven multiple considerations on Aleck's club, as well as other (almost) contemporaneous specimens, shouldn't we go back to items more within the scope of this forum, on what concerns, for example, antiquity? |
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#16 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,247
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How old is this idea? Is it just some sort of souped up black jack? Best, F |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 97
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Dont know if its as good or worse than a solid rod but it would be very effective (OUCH).I think this is Austrian.
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#18 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Thanks, Aleks |
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