Bows and Arrows
SIR,—Mr. Peter Fleming's article, Bows and Arrows, must have stirred happy memories amongst countless survivors of the Home Guard, whose memories are rich in recollections of strange weapons. Perhaps the claim he makes for his unit will bring from some authoritative source confirmation of a legend which is still repeated—to the effect that a Commando unit which took part in the Dieppe raid earned and did execution with bows and arrows.. At close quarters, and in the dusk, an arrow's silent effectiveness might well be demoralising to warriors whose battles are accompanied normally by confused noise. The penetrating power of an arrow .fpm a long-bow was proved when, years ago, a party of big-game hunters experimented against lions. It was found that at short range the ,arrow went clean through the animals, its drawback being._ that it lacked the stopping power of a bullet.
My H. G. platoon—or rather the platoon to which I had the honour to belong—might boast, too, of unorthodox armament, includ- ing a kukri and a hat-pin. The former did excellent service in hewing down undergrowth which masked a field of fire; the latter, carried in a slim brass tube as sheath,- was intended for real in-fighting if occasion arose. (I may say it was a weapon recommended by a certain lecturer at one of the H. G. training-centres.)
Whether artificial dentures can, in any circumstances, be regarded as military equipment seems open to debate, yet as employed by our ex-regular Sergeant-major they surely were so. He belonged to the bayonet-fighting school, amongst whom ferocity of expression was believed to enhance the value of the weapon. While demonstrating, he twice broke his upper set by over-vigorous gnashing, and it remains a grievance that he was refused free replacement.—Yours "faithfully,
17 Stanhope Street, Glasgow, C.4. W. K. HOLMES.
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