Original Imperial German WWI Goedendag Type Trench Raiding Club with Shrapnel Damage on Handle - From Personal Collection of David Machnicki, Author of At Arm's Length Series

Original Item: Only One Available. Purchased directly from David F. Machnicki, the author of At Arm's Length Trench Club book Series, the most up-to-date reference on the topic today. This is a tremendous well-used trench club with a very interesting Goedendag style head, some shrapnel damage on the handle, and a great patina.

While this isn’t exactly a 14th Century medieval goedendag, these trench clubs are often referred to as such due to their appearance. While pinpointing trench clubs to a certain country, we have seen these as being used by German soldiers during WW1. A goedendag was a weapon originally used by the militias of Medieval Flanders in the 14th century, notably during the Franco-Flemish War. The goedendag was essentially a combination of a club with a spear. Its body was a wooden staff roughly three to five feet (92 cm to 150 cm) long with a diameter of roughly two to four inches (5 cm to 10 cm). It was wider at one end, and at this end a sharp metal spike was inserted by a tang.

This is a fantastic example of a World War One German trench raiding mace or club with 6 knobs around the circumference and a pointed one on top. Its length approximates 18 1/4 inches and shows two heavy gouges in the wood, near the top and bottom. The diameter of the head from one point to another is approximately 3 ¼ inches.

The head is affixed by two flat-head screws and does rattle a bit, but is still firmly attached. The handle tapers towards the pommel terminating in a “knob”. There is a small hole over the pommel for the attachment of the twine/hemp lanyard or wrist strap which is still retained. 

This is an outstanding well-worn example, ready to become a centerpiece of your WWI collection!

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.