While researching the Apache Revolver and the British Commandos I came to realize how fond of brass knuckles the commandos seem to be. Their equipment consisted of at least one fighting knife, the most famous of which was the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife, but almost all the other knives they used had brass knuckles as part of the handle. Some of these knives were leftovers from WW1, but one of the most unusual and interesting is the knuckle knife used by the Middle Eastern Commando.
From Roy Shadbolt's collection
It is hard to say how the Commandos that fought in the Middle East came by these knives, but I suspect they were locally sourced because of urgent need, and failure of wartime logistics. The Commando's Death's Head knuckle knife came from Egyptian shops. The blade was made from left over WW1 German bayonets, something common in that part of the world after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire during WW1. The Ottomans and Turks were German allies and used a lot of their equipment. The handles follow closely the same pattern as each other, but had to have come from a number of different shops.
Cap badge also from Roy Shadbolt's collection
The Middle East Commandos even used a representation of this knife as their cap badge. It's a unique symbol of a gritty time in history. Knives and cap badges are still available but not cheap. Real ones are rare and many reproductions abound.
Men of No. 51 Middle East Commando