7 SEPTEMBER 1918, Page 12

" ARCHIE."

[To THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR.")

SIR,—In reading Major Bishop's book Winged Warfare I was interested to see that he stated therein that he was unaware of the origin of the term " Archie," denoting anti-aircraft guns. Possibly its origin has been lost in the " mists of antiquity," but so far as my memory serves me, the term "Archie " was derived from the catchwords " Archibald, certainly not which were rife amongst the men of the original B.E.F., as applied to the singu- larly ineffectual efforts of anti-aircraft guns—both our own and the enemy's—of that period to combat the activities of aeroplanes. This may be of interest to your readers, as I have found that it is a frequent subject of discussion.—I am, Sir, he., " 1914."