On Tue, 23 Feb 1999, Jim Hill wrote:
>
>
> Brian Johnson wrote:
The English stuck their fingers in the
> air to show the French that they still had them.
A considerable quantity of the 'English' archers were in fact welsh.
The skill of the welshmen had impressed upon the English after their
numerous confrontations. Those Welsh that had decided to give their
support to the English, through the marcher Lords, helped train and
inspire their English counterparts. At Crecy, Agincourt and Poitiers (HI
SID!) The English army succeeded by 'digging in' and defending with
stakes. The french cavalry was then forcibly dismounted. When the
archers had exhausted their supply of arrows, they would join the
infantry in killing the disabled knights (200lbs of armour lying down in
deep mud). The Welsh were particulary effective with their trademark
daggers. The french were too uppity in thinking an aristocratic cavalry
was always the best. The only archers they used were italian mercenaries
with cross-bows. These had a better range and penetration but were much
slower than an 'English' long-bow.
All of a sudden the Welsh seem to have forgotten that they were ever
friends with the English and want to be all pally with the euro lot....
Johnny '70 Viterald
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