Swagger stick
|
|
|
|
British Army captain with officer's baton
|
General Patton with officer's baton
|
A swagger stick or Officer Stock is in some armies of officers out as a symbol of authority and position.
history
The officer's baton goes back to the vitis , as a badge of rank of Roman centurions , and was still used as a weapon in the Middle Ages as a mace , later as the officers' swagger stick, while marshals wore the marshal's baton as an insignia of power.
The swagger stick is a tradition of the Commonwealth countries and is mainly still used in the British Army , albeit with a decreasing trend. In contrast to the swagger stick, NCOs wear the longer pace stick .
From the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, swagger sticks were also carried in the United States , mainly in the United States Marine Corps . General Patton in particular was known for its use.
See also
literature
- Stefan F. Pfahl: Badge of rank in the Roman lord of the imperial era. Wellem, Düsseldorf 2012, ISBN 978-3-941820-12-8 , pp. 20-24.
