One of the weapons on display was the Commandos dagger. We’ve had it in our lineup for a long time, and we may have even forgotten the story behind it. It’s a type of weapon known as the F-S dagger. The name “F-S dagger” is derived from the surnames of its creators, W. E. Fairbairn and E. A. Sykes, British military instructors in close-quarters combat. The dagger was developed for surprise attacks and the silent killing of enemy soldiers, particularly patrols and guards. It inflicted deep wounds that bled profusely, thus preventing the enemy from raising the alarm or defending themselves effectively. The dagger’s narrow blade easily pierced uniforms and even the ribs of the chest. Furthermore, the hilt could be used to deliver blows.
One of the designers of the F-S dagger, Captain William Ewart Fairbairn, also personally spent a day training Gabčík and Kubiš before their deployment for Operation Anthropoid. Of course, the dagger was also an essential part of the equipment carried by the paratroopers who were sent to our territory from Great Britain during World War II to help fight for our freedom.
Of course, we don’t buy Commandos or other similar weapons today to use them as paratroopers or to threaten anyone with them. In addition to being examples of high-quality knife craftsmanship, they serve above all as a reminder of a past of which we, as Czechs, can be proud.