#knobkerrie

[thedeadofflandersfields]

I hit out with my knobkerrie and it sank deep into his forehead. In the scuffle, his helmet flew off, and I saw that he was a bald-headed old man. I have never forgotten that bald head, and I don't suppose I ever will, poor devil.

Private John Kirkham, 20th Battalion Manchester Regiment, France, 1916.

The term ‘knobkerrie’ originates in Africa as a kind of hunting club but was brought back with the British Army and here it is used to refer to trench clubs - nasty, improvised weapons made by individual soldiers from lengths of wood or metal, often studded with nails, wrapped in barbed wire, given spikes or otherwise made more lethal.

(edit: here’s my subsequent post showing trench clubs/knobkerries)

[armthearmour]

A Knobkerrie (fighting stick) with an iron studded head, Zulu, South Africa, probably ca. 19th century, from African Arms.

[victoriansword]

A selection of Zulu weapons actually used in 1879 including a regimental shield in the colours of the uThulwana regiment and an Enfield percussion rifle used at Hlobane and Khambula.

[a-world-at-war-blog-blog]

Clubs

       A fairly primitive weapon, it was used by the nomads. Clubs were mostly used in Europe while other tribes used wooden axes. In popular culture most of the monsters, or giants are shown to use clubs. This weapon was the easiest to handle. A club is generally small enough to be wielded in one hand. Clubs vary in size, weight and come in many shapes. These clubs were later converted into maces after mining began. Maces were basically a sophisticated version of clubs. The mace came with a heavy head on the end. In Africa, people called clubs as Knobkierrie. The clubs that were made in Africa were much heavier. They came with a heavy rounded knob or head. The tribes in Africa started carving faces and other symbols on it. The club was the traditional weapon of the Ethnic African groups.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_weapons#Weapons_of_the_Pre-historic_age