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A Collection of China Marine Swagger Sticks


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Excellent Dick!!! Great Crop!! Any hallmarks around the base of the cap? Love the Chinese "Chicken Eagle" too! Very similar to others Eagles I have on Chinese made peices!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here is a Chinese made swagger stick that belonged to Captain George J. Nowack who was born on January 9, 1896 in Rochester, New York. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1921 after serving six years with the 12th Calvary, US Army. Nowack was an expert saddler, farrier (specialist in equine hoof care) and blacksmith. He served in the Marine Corps Expeditionary Force, Culebra, Puerto Rico, Headquarters Company, Eleventh Regiment, Ocotal, Nicaragua, Headquarters Company, First Brigade, United States Marine Corps, Port Au Prince, Republic Of Haiti and twice with Headquarters Detachment, Marine Mounted Detachment, American Embassy, Peiping, China, as a Veterinarian. He is pictured here with his mount "Shannon" at the American Embassy, Peiping, China, about 1936. The last mounted unit of these "China Horse Marines" (including Nowack) was retired in March 1938 when the detachment, numbering one officer and thirty marines, was disbanded. Nowack was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in January 1943. Captain George J. Nowack died on December 27, 1946 in Tientsin, China. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

This stick has an ivory top and a silver EGA with a scroll engraved with PUERTO RICO, NICARAGUA, HAITI and CHINA. The top of the stick has a silver disc engraved GEORGE J. NOWACK, PEIPING, U.S.M.C. The swagger stick is 23 1/2" long.

 

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  • 11 months later...

This is a walking stick that belonged to my father, a China Marine.  The stick is a figured wood, but nothing Marine Corps about it that can still be seen.  Feel yes, but no longer seen.  I remember a “hair” design glued to the wood--very fragile.  I believe it had his name and other art work.  Some of this can still be felt.  Best wishes and Semper Fi, Jim
 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

I got this stick from my grandfather, who was never in the service, and no idea where he got it.

The tips are non-ferric, but they don't appear to be silver; maybe tin?  No maker's marks, initials, etc., of any kind.  Anyway, "Tsingtao China" is inlaid in the shaft with very fine wire; likely USMC connection?

swagger stick2 (2).jpg

swaggerstick (2).jpg

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  • 6 months later...
diggin4copper

Hi guys, new to the forum. Thank you for being here..I came into a collection of 1920/30s marine items. The gentleman was over in China during this time. I have learned a lot in the past few days from this forum. I found what looked like a magician wand in the trash at a house cleanout. I thought it was better than a piece of junk so i took it home. No markings, but a real nice dragon design. Then I found this forum. Looks like it a swagger stick. Fits with the other items.. brochures from China, postcards, Mother’s Day 1929 dinner menu. Here is the stick… lots of other items to post if anyone is interested..I feel honored to be able to rescue this collection from a dumpster… Brian

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First welcome to the forum! Second the stick…..It’s a beauty and most likely silver. Can you tell from the menus were in China he was stationed….Shanghai or Peking? Yours looks similar to my post #2 from Shanghai. Also please post away!!!

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diggin4copper
Just now, Dirk said:

It’s a beauty and most likely silver. Can you tell from the menus were in China he was stationed….Shanghai or Peking?

Hi Dirk,, looks like paperwork from both places.. the Mother’s Day 1929 menu is Shanghai.. there is a paper a for a tour in Peking. There is mention of the USS Pittsburg…

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Looks like he was a seagoing Marine aboard the Pittsburg so probably was there for the Shanghai incident of 1927…makes sense he took a trip up to Peking when the ship sailed north on its patrol circuit. 

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diggin4copper

Wow. .I’m learning a lot. .there is a shoebox full of photos from over there that he took..and a silk tapestry memorializing his journey.

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I pm’ed you my China marine web site….it should help you with some understanding of what’s what and the events that surrounded them in China….what ever you post I will be happy to walk you through whatever photos you have as many of them appear as copied in numerous marine albums….and I have seen a lot of them already….but always something new to learn!

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  • 2 months later...

Here are some shots of another one that came from a fellow forum member…this one comes from a Peking jeweler, and is a smaller twin of another one I posted earlier (post #2).

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Dirk that is gorgeous. I have always been fascinated with swagger sticks and have a small collection but have never been able to get my hands on a China Marine example. You have some very nice ones. Thanks for sharing. 

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