Baton (military)

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The ceremonial baton is a short, thick stick-like object, typically in wood or metal, that is traditionally the sign of a field marshal or a similar high-ranking military officer, and carried as a piece of their uniform. The baton is distinguished from the swagger stick in being thicker and effectively without any practical function. A staff of office is rested on the ground; a baton is not. Unlike a royal sceptre that is crowned on one end with an eagle or globe, a baton is typically flat-ended.

Origins

The baton can most likely be traced back to the mace, with ancient kings and pharaohs often being buried with ceremonial maces.^[2] With the advent of primitive body armor, the mace went out of fashion, but made a comeback as an effective weapon against full plate armour during the Late Middle Ages.^[3] During this time, the staff of office also became a prominent symbol of power.^[4]

By the time of

Imperial Generals (Reichsgeneräle), but especially Imperial Field Marshals (Reichsgeneralfeldmarschälle) of the

In

All the batons, except Erich Raeder's, were designed in a similar way: a shaft decorated with Iron Crosses and Wehrmacht eagles. Luftwaffe (air force) shafts showed the Balkenkreuz ("beam cross"), whereas Kriegsmarine (navy) shafts had fouled anchors. The ends of the batons were decorated with ornate caps.

The seven styles of Nazi-era batons

1. The first baton awarded was to Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg. This baton's shaft had a light blue velvet covering material. It is now in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
2. The first air force baton awarded was to Hermann Göring after his promotion to field marshal. Though it was designed similarly to the Blomberg baton with a light blue velvet shaft covering, it incorporated the air force Balkenkreuz symbols. Additionally, the end caps were inlaid with many small diamonds. It is now kept in the National Infantry Museum at Fort Moore, Georgia.
3. The next baton awarded was to Grand Admiral Erich Raeder. This baton's shaft had a dark blue velvet covering. This baton differed from other batons by having a chain link pattern sewn over the crosses, eagles and anchors. At the end of the war, the baton was reportedly disassembled and sold in pieces.
4. Nine army batons were awarded in the summer of 1940 to newly promoted field marshals. The batons' shafts had red velvet coverings and differed only in identifying inscriptions on the end caps. Eight more batons of this style were later awarded to other field marshals upon their promotions. The first group was manufactured for 6,000 RM (about US$30,000 in 2012) each. Most of the batons are now in museums or private collections.
5. Three air force batons were awarded in the summer of 1940. They had blue velvet covering and the Balkenkreuz design, differing only in individual end cap inscriptions. One more baton of this style was awarded in 1943. The 1940 air force batons were slightly more expensive to manufacture than the 1940 army batons.
6. The only other navy baton was awarded to Grand Admiral
   Shropshire Regimental Museum
   , Shrewsbury, UK, and was donated by Major General J. B. Churcher, who captured Dönitz at war's end and took the baton.
7. The only Reichsmarschall baton was presented to Hermann Göring in 1940. While similar looking to the other 1940 batons, it incorporated exceptional materials. The shaft was white elephant ivory, not velvet-covered metal. The end caps incorporated platinum in the inscription banding and over 600 small diamonds. The baton was manufactured for 22,750 RM (about US$130,000 in 2012). It is now in the U.S. Army's
   West Point Museum
   , Highland Falls, New York.

German field service batons

German field marshals often carried an Interimstab while on active service, a lighter and thinner baton resembling a swagger stick.^[9]

Russia

The first [Russian] Field Marshal's baton, the emblem of this high military rank, was given to Count Fedor Golovin in 1700. In the 19th century, during the reign of

Nicholas II of Russia (1894-1917), the last being to His Royal Highness King Carol I of Romania in 1912.

— Staff at Christie's 2004

The Duke of Wellington possessed multiple batons, since he held the rank of field marshal or equivalent in eight European armies each of which presented him with a baton. In addition to his English baton he was presented with two British batons.^{[10][failed verification]} Nine of the batons (along with some staffs of office) are displayed at his former home, Apsley House (the Russian baton was stolen on 9 December 1965 and has not been recovered).^[1][11][12]

In heraldry and culture

A baton appears occasionally in heraldry as an armorial achievement by field marshals upon achieving substantive or honorary rank. In England and Wales, batons are usually represented as behind the coat of arms crossed in saltire although the sole holder of this achievement in practice is the Duke of Norfolk in his capacity as Earl Marshal.

See also

• Bulawa
• Ceremonial weapon
• Gunbai
• Saihai
• Swagger stick
• Vine staff

References

Citations

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marshal's batons.

• Hedegaard, E. O. A. (1979). Den militære feltmarskalstavs historie: En våben- og krigshistorisk studie [The History of the Field Marshal's Baton: A Study of the History of Weapons] (in Danish). Forlaget ZAC.
• SR staff (10 December 1965). "2 Robbers Beat Guard, Take Priceless Jewels". The Spokesman-Review. p. 2.
• Staff at Christie's (19 October 2004). "An extremely rare jeweled, enamel and gold Russian field marshal's baton marked Keibel, St. Petersburg, circa 1878 (Lot 121 / Sale 1458)". Christie's.