"I hit out with my knobkerrie (steel spiked club) 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.
Trench raids, often conducted under cover of darkness, had become a regular occurrence in the war. The conditions in which the raiders knew they would be fighting necessitated the use of weapons that were far more suitable to close combat than rifles and bayonets.
Tomahawks, Trench-knives, Trench clubs, with relatively short handles and a steel or iron head, closely resembling medieval maces, proved to be quite brutally effective. Hatchets were also popular improvised weapons, as were trench shovels.
The official distribution of these weapons, however, was never widespread, and they were usually used by units who specialized in trench raiding. #ww1 #reality #stayzero #zerofoxtrot