Robin Hood in disguise?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
10/02/2010 10:41

In 1940, some of the German commanders who were overseeing the push into France began to receive seemingly random reports of soldiers having been killed with broad-head arrows or hacked with a English Claymore. Effective enough weapons it would seem, but archaic even in that day and age. They likely could have guessed the bowman was an English soldier, but they couldn’t have appreciated these as the calling card of the rabid eccentric, Captain Jack Churchill. On May 27 1940 Captain Jack Churchill of the Manchester Regiment killed a German soldier with a bow and arrow - the arrow struck the German in the chest killing him.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
10/02/2010 10:41

His regiment took over a section of the Maginot Line in December 1939, and one day while on patrol in no-man's land he got to within 50-80 yards of the German lines and fired two arrows at them. Apparently there was some 'consternation' amongst the Germans at this. As a side note, the arrows cost 10s 6d each, and the War Office would not refund him!



On the 27th May (2 days after being slightly wounded) he was in the loft of a small granery in L'Epinette (near Bethune), and spotted 5 Germans sheltering below. He instructed 2 soldiers to open rapid fire on the Germans, but only after he had shot an arrow at the German in the centre of the group. His arrow struck him in the left side of the chest, killing him. After the (successful) ambush, he tried to retrieve his arrow, but as it was a hunting arrow with a barbed head it got stuck (which they are supposed to do!) and he only succeeded in breaking the shaft. Machine-gun fire dissuaded any further action.