A handmade cosh made by a US Marine while posted in New Zealand during World War II has been donated to the National Army Museum. We think it has a rather interesting back-story.
The story goes that around 1943 a US Marine made the pictured cosh for use on the Station Master at the Levin Railway Station after the master refused to allow the marine to ride on the freight train back to his camp in Paekakariki.
The cosh was made by the Marine from shoe laces in a lounge at the back of Levin’s “Victory Cafe” while he waited for his meal to be cooked. However, once he finished his meal he left – possibly sober – leaving the cosh on a couch and the item was quickly hidden away. The Marine was never seen again and the donor believes he actually died in the Battle of Okinawa.
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