Over the Top!

[-Ray-]

Several years ago in Wurzburg myself and a local national friend of the family visited the 1st I.D. museum.

As we walked along the WW I display he eyed a swagger stick. The words that came out of his mouth were; "for snobbish British officer!"

Nothing for me to add about that remark but he ensuingly asserted that these British officers also went over the top into "No Mans Land" with nothing but a swagger stick.

Otherwise, and respectfully I would say they had more than balls and hardend arrogance .

Never heard of these acts of bravery or glory I should remark. Was this some kind of unspoken, unwritten SOP? "Screw that!" Any other related facts to share please.



***Swagger: “To behave with an air of superiority, in a blustering, insolent, or defiant manner; now esp. to walk or carry oneself as if among inferiors, with an obtrusively superior or insolent air” (OED). Also a noun: a swaggering movement or gait; boastfulness; braggadocio (American Heritage Dictionary).


-Ray-

[Bob Lyons]

A bit of interesting stuff re Swagger sticks from Wickipedia...

Bob



A swagger stick (lat: vitis) is a short stick or riding crop usually carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority. A swagger stick is shorter than a staff or cane, and is usually made from rattan.
In the Roman army the swagger stick, then called a vitis, was a distinction of rank worn by a centurion and used to direct military drill and manoeuvres, or to administer physical punishment. It was a short vine wood staff, hence the name, about the size of a cane and is often prominently featured on sepulchral monuments for dead or missing centurios as a sign of their dignity.
Tacitus recounts how one centurio earned the nickname Cedo Alteram ("give me another!") for repeatedly breaking his vitis on the back of a miles gregarius and yelling for a replacement.<SUP id=cite_ref-Tacitus_1-0 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="8">[1]</SUP> This policy resulted in mutiny (14 AD) and the troops cite, amongst other complaints, harsh corporal punishments as a reason for their revolt.<SUP id=cite_ref-Tacitus_1-1 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="11">[1]</SUP>
United Kingdom armed forces

In the British Army prior to World War I swagger sticks were carried by all other ranks when off duty, as part of their walking out uniform. The stick took the form of a short cane of polished wood, with an ornamented metal head of regimental pattern. The usual custom was for the private soldier or NCO to carry the stick tucked under his arm. Cavalrymen carried a small riding cane instead of the swagger stick of infantry and other branches. <SUP id=cite_ref-2 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="14">[2]</SUP>This practice was restricted to the army and Royal Marines, and was never imitated by the other services. Uniforms are no longer worn by army personnel when off duty and the swagger stick has accordingly become obsolete.
In the British Army and other militaries following the Commonwealth traditions, some commissioned officers used to carry swagger sticks when in uniform, whilst some Warrant Officers and Senior NCOs may carry pace sticks instead. Cavalry officers will often carry a riding crop rather than a swagger stick, in deference to their mounted traditions. In some Irish regiments in the British army, such as the Irish Guards, officers carry a blackthorn walking stick, based on the shillelagh. In the Royal Tank Regiment, officers carry an 'ash plant' or walking stick instead, in reference to World War I tank attacks, when officers would prepare lines of advance by testing the ground's firmness and suitability for tanks.<SUP id=cite_ref-3 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="17">[3]</SUP>
United States armed forces


Homer Litzenberg holding a swagger stick in his official portrait in the late 1950s


Swagger sticks were once in vogue in the United States Marine Corps, starting as an informal accessory carried by officers in the late 19th century. In 1915, it gained official approval as recruiters were encouraged to carry them to improve public image. This tradition grew when Marines deployed for World War I encountered European officers carrying swagger sticks, leading to an entry in the uniform regulations in 1922 authorizing enlisted Marines to carry them as well. The usage died down in the 1930s and 40s, excepting China Marines, and came back into vogue with a 1952 regulation encouraging them, reaching a peak from 1956 to 1960 when CommandantRandolph M. Pate encouraged use. While stressing the need for uniforms to be simple and rugged, with no need for gimmicks and gadgets, General Pate commented:

There is one item of equipment about which I have a definite opinion. It is the swagger stick. It shall remain an optional item of interference. If you feel the need of it, carry it…

However, his successor, David M. Shoup, quickly discouraged their use:

..."the swagger stick symbolized elitist affectation, and it reminded him of some unpleasant experiences he had had in China.” He had seen British officers toss money at Chinese men and then strike them with their swagger sticks as they picked up the coins off the ground. Few Marines carried the swagger stick after that.<SUP id=cite_ref-MCTswaggerstick_4-0 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="20">[4]</SUP>

Few, if any, contemporary officers feel the need to carry a swagger stick, and it has no official sanction in any branch.
General George S. Patton carried a swagger stick throughout World War II; however, his contained a concealed blade, similar to a Victorian gentleman's sword cane.<SUP id=cite_ref-5 class=reference jQuery18306467708203480107="23">[5]</SUP>
General William J. Livsey, who was the Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army in South Korea from 1984 to 1987 publicly carried a swagger stick that was carved from wood collected at the Korean Demilitarized Zone Axe Murder Incident poplar tree.

[oldflagswanted]

about swagger sticks ...

...In the Roman army the swagger stick, ...was a distinction
of rank worn by a centurion ...General George S. Patton carried
a swagger stick throughout World War II; ...

Hello Bob:
Great info, thanks for posting.
I have several examples, maybe it
is time to find a new home for them?
OFW

[Seigfried]

Your friend should do some research I think!

It is possible that a swagger stick may have been carried into battle, but only alongside a pistol - and early in the war at that.

As time went on no officer would want to stand out and become a target, let alone not have means to defend himself and also would not want to denude the attack of an extra rifle.

He is also mistaking arrogance for leadership.

Swagger sticks are normally only carried in barracks and on ceremonial duties, and are still used in British Army Training Regiments today, as a symbol of authority.