club Sturmtruppe

[Chip M]

Rivets aren't always an indication of postwar manufacture, but in this case, I think they help to lean the ID in that direction. The clip for the Schützleder and the ring look postwar to me. Without any markings, there is no way to be certain.

Chip

[Adler 1]

Yesterday I was looking at one of the two trench clubs I have and actually discovered a partial stamp on the leather strap. It appears to be the same maker as the club that David showed us, only there are no stamps on the handles of my clubs.
So, I think we can conclude it's a German trench club, produced by Friedrich Kottenhoff Gevelsberg. The markings are on the bottom of the handle or on the strap. The steel spiked ball has always the markings "FKG" and "202".
Most of the time they are found without a strap, when a strap is present they are mostly leather and sometimes papercloth as an substitute (ersatz) for the leather strap.
If somebody has more or better information, please enlighten us ...

Adler

[Sergeant 08]

I have seen this photo some days ago!

[Sergeant 08]

I think some collectors here will like to see the next photo!

[Hoss]

Nice pics Sergeant
Have you seen this one before?
Look at all those square dippers!

Eric

[Hoss]

Yesterday I was looking at one of the two trench clubs I have and actually discovered a partial stamp on the leather strap. It appears to be the same maker as the club that David showed us, only there are no stamps on the handles of my clubs.
So, I think we can conclude it's a German trench club, produced by Friedrich Kottenhoff Gevelsberg. The markings are on the bottom of the handle or on the strap. The steel spiked ball has always the markings "FKG" and "202".
Most of the time they are found without a strap, when a strap is present they are mostly leather and sometimes papercloth as an substitute (ersatz) for the leather strap.
If somebody has more or better information, please enlighten us ...

Adler

Adler
Was there more than one maker of this pattern club. I,ve seen a least two different style of spiked mace heads. Or just turned out different buy the same maker?
Guess it didnt matter what shape it was when you got clobbered !!!!
My example was taken by a Brit at Mametz (Somme) but doesnt have any stamps on the head or handle, although the butt is flatterned some.

Eric

[Adler 1]

Eric, I've seen only the ones produced by FKG and they are always marked the same on the spiked ball.
The one David is showing is marked (Friedrich Kottenhoff Gevelsberg) on the top of the wooden handle, mine and others were marked with the same name on the leather strap. Perhaps David's is a later model with papercloth strap and because of the papercloth it was impossible to put stamps on it...
This is only looking for an explication of the different models, made by the same manufacturer, but it sound logic to me...
I've never seen the same model made by another manufacturer, but mayby somebody else can enlighten us more and even show another example?

Adler 1

[Johnny R]

These were also handy for killing rats. I was told that by a WWI German Vet, they used to have competitions to see who could kill the most and made small booby traps for them with grenade fuzes and trip wires in rat holes.

[Hoss]

These were also handy for killing rats.

"You know Johnny I was only complaining about that the other day. Those swine never give us a moments rest with their clubs, especially that Hoss!"

Top Rat
Oskar

[Johnny R]

I have worked in Mexico for 20 some years now in remote areas and quickly learned why people continue to use insect netting even during the dry season, Sleepong on the floor of houses trying to catch any breeze which the nets eliminate I woke up several times having felt one running across my face and legs, they have no fear and are horrible. I cannot even imagine what the trenches were like. I was serious about being told the clubs were used to kill rats, also ETs were a favorite.

[Paul B]

Rat Killing...

Johnny

Interesting point about entrenching tools being used for "pest control" in the trenches -Stephen Westmann in his war memoirs recalled enduring the preliminary British bombardment prior to the Battle of the Somme in 1916, as well as the toll is took on the soldiers in his concrete shelter the shelling also drove the rats crazy and enventually his comrades clubbed all the rats to death with their entrenching tools.

Judging by period photos, it also seems that rat hunting -as well as being neccesary for hygene reasons- was also a way of passing the time in quieter sectors.

All the best

Paul.

[Johnny R]

Yes, I was fortunate enough to have been able to speak with many German WWI vets and had several in our Family that were AEF. Rats were brought up by many. Here is a photo from the web where one man has a little bat shaped kill club.

[Sergeant 08]

Yes, I was fortunate enough to have been able to speak with many German WWI vets and had several in our Family that were AEF. Rats were brought up by many. Here is a photo from the web where one man has a little bat shaped kill club.

Fat animals.

It seems they had good battle field food. I guess human flesh...

[Brad Posey]

Here are a few that I think have been reproduced in WW I or shortly afterwards since I have seen these photos often - original period post card photos.

[Brad Posey]

Another