longbows in the nam

[hardgainer]

A interesting application

http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/tf/lw/th ... CATEGORY=9

[Mick Smith]

Hi Tony. I remember that article well, as I happened to own that edition of Bow and Arrow magazine back at around that time. Actually it was quite common to see articles about archery in Vietnam in those days, as it was during that war. I also remember one other article that was about a 'commando' crossbow which was designed for special forces use. It brought back some old memories for me.

[Stickbow Hunter]

That was an interesting article. I will point out that the soldier was shooting a recurve and not a longbow though.

I'm sure I have read somewhere of bows and arrows being used by Aussies in the 2nd World War but can't remember where I read it now.

Jeff

[Mick Smith]

I can recall reading somewhere that during the darkest stages of WW2, when a Japanese invasion of Australia looked inevitable, the Australian government contracted out the cutting of thousands of spotted gum staves which might be used to equip the population with some form of defence in a guerrilla war scenario, in a Japanese occupied Australia.

I don't know if the contract was actually carried out or not. The tides of fortune soon changed after the defeat of the Japanese navy in a couple of decisive battles soon after.

[kerry]

That was an interesting article. I will point out that the soldier was shooting a recurve and not a longbow though.

I'm sure I have read somewhere of bows and arrows being used by Aussies in the 2nd World War but can't remember where I read it now.

Jeff

there was a pom in the second world war called Mad Jack Churchill who fought the germans with a long bow and wore a sword. If you google his name he got up to some amazing sh!t

[Nephew]

there was a pom in the second world war called Mad Jack Churchill who fought the germans with a long bow and wore a sword. If you google his name he got up to some amazing sh!t

This was a question on Q.I. just last night! He was a classic, ol' Mad Jack! He insisted an officer must wear a sword into battle and despite a popular assumption, was no relation to the great Winston Churchill ( a giant of politics if ever there was one, and I admit, a Tory I have enormous respect for )

[Len]

Was it MadJack who said" if it wasn't for those damned yanks we could have had another couple of years of war!" ?

[kerry]

there was a pom in the second world war called Mad Jack Churchill who fought the germans with a long bow and wore a sword. If you google his name he got up to some amazing sh!t

This was a question on Q.I. just last night! He was a classic, ol' Mad Jack! He insisted an officer must wear a sword into battle and despite a popular assumption, was no relation to the great Winston Churchill ( a giant of politics if ever there was one, and I admit, a Tory I have enormous respect for )

That's right Craig if it wasn't for google and the tv i'd be an iggerant hillbilly... hang on a minute I still am

[Nephew]

That's right Craig if it wasn't for google and the tv i'd be an iggerant hillbilly... hang on a minute I still am

Oh, I dunno about that... you're clever enough to choose to be an ABC viewer!

[GrahameA]

Hi Craig

This was a question on Q.I. just last night! He was a classic, ol' Mad Jack! He insisted an officer must wear a sword into battle ...

Not quite. He is quoted as saying in his opinion an officer going into battle without a sword was improperly dressed. He wore a Claybeg, to be technically pedantic.

[Chase N. Nocks]

These guys started out with bows and arrows and crossbows but progressed to other stuff during the Vietnam War before they were abandoned.

How ironic that they had to hand in their weapons considering where they were headed.

1992, they are all "Good Old Boys" now I reckon.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 40,2508382

Colonel Kurtz knew their value.

cheers
Troy

[Jim]

The bad guys in Afghan had developed a strategy of hiding by the door and grabbing the weapon of the first guy through, in order to stall the entry. The counter strategy was for the number two guy to carry a machete or hatchet to remove the offending arms. It didn't take long for that bad guy strategy to be abandoned, but there was a period of many a western infantry man carrying a sizeable primitive weapon into battle and a whole range of 'tactical tomahawks' emerging in the modern marketplace. I never saw a sword though

Jim

[Mick Smith]

Talking about the use of primitive weapons in modern warfare. It's hard to go past the Australian Light Horse Brigade and the last of the great successful cavalry charges which took place in October 1917 at Beersheba.

With their rifles slung across their backs, the Light Horsemen waved their bayonets overhead, as they charged across six kilometres of open ground cheating Turkish bombs, shells and bullets. Six kilometres of open ground!

The Light Horsemen lunged into the Turkish trenches like madmen, cutting and slashing with their bayonets, which aren't even actually swords which are considerably longer. Most of the dirty work was done with bayonets only and it was brutal. It's no wonder the Turks took to their heels.

It was an act of foolhardy bravery which seems to have slipped through the cracks of popular Australian military history to a large extent, probably due to the fact that only 31 Australians were killed. This figure pales into insignificance when compared to other far more deadly battles of WW1. It was the turning point of the war against the Turkish empire, so militarily the charge was very significant.

For its sheer audacity and courage alone, this charge and the men involved deserve far more recognition than they currently receive.

[Gringa Bows]

Very interesting stuff