Original British WWI Corps of Royal Engineers Hobnailed Trench Club as Featured in “At Arms Length: Trench Clubs and Maces” by David F. Machnicki Original Items

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous example of a First World War trench club as used by the Corps of Royal Engineers of the British Army. Featuring 20 square-shaped textured hobnails, a 29 mm wide steel reinforcement ring to the top of the club, and the top of the club being hollowed out and filled with lead, this was a meticulously-designed weapon meant for repeated use in an unforgiving environment. 

This trench club was featured on Page 26 of Volume II of “At Arms Length: Trench Clubs and Maces” by David F. Machnicki. Please note that the attached page image from the book is copyrighted material and the use of the page is done by permission of the author. A printed copy of the page will accompany the purchase of this club. The entry reads:

This British trench club has a notable quality and an exceptional design in being constructed from wood, iron and lead. The club has a length of 447 mm and has a mass of 519 grams. To increase the club’s force upon impact, 20 square-shaped textured hobnails have been hammered into the surface of its wooden head (see page #14 & #22). Eight of these hobnails are used to anchor a 29 mm wide steel reinforcement ring to the top of the club. This metal ring increases its effective weight when used as a weapon and minimizes the likelihood that the club’s head will splinter upon impact. In addition, the center at the top of the club was hollowed out and filled with lead. The club’s handle gradually tapers away from its head to narrow and form its grip. This grip has 16 regularly spaced shallow grooves cut into its surface. A 7.0 mm hole has been drilled through its flared pommel where its braided hemp lanyard remains attached. Current references have indicated that this style of club was manufactured in mass quantities in Army workshops by the Corps of Royal Engineers (RE’s), their Motto: “Ubique” (“Everywhere”).

The club measures roughly 17⅜” in length, with a 1¾” diameter on the head. There is a visible knot in the wood which truly verifies this piece as having been period workshop-made. This is one of the most gorgeous trench clubs we have ever offered, with the added provenance of coming from the collection of the most prolific authorities on trench maces & clubs. Don’t miss out! Comes ready for further research and display.

Trench raiding clubs were homemade melee weapons used by both the Allies and the Central Powers during World War I. Clubs were used during nighttime trench raiding expeditions as a quiet and effective way of killing or wounding enemy soldiers. The clubs were usually made out of wood. It was common practice to fix a metal object at the striking end (e.g. an empty Mills bomb) in order to maximize the injury inflicted. Another common design comprised a simple stave with the end drilled out and a lead weight inserted, with rows of large hobnails hammered in around its circumference. Most designs had some form of cord or leather strap at the end to wrap around the user’s wrist. Bosnian soldiers serving in the Austro-Hungarian army were fond of using maces. They were also used by officers to finish enemy soldiers wounded by poison gas attacks.

Trench clubs were manufactured in bulk by units based behind the lines. Typically, regimental carpenters and metal workers would make large numbers of the same design of club. They were generally used along with other “quiet” weapons such as trench knives, entrenching tools, bayonets, hatchets and pickaxe handles – backed up with revolvers and hand grenades.