"Mad" Jack Churchill

[Confuzius]

British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a bow, arrows and a claymore. He once said "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed".

I stumbled upon this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill

"the only known British soldier to have felled an enemy with a longbow in the course of WW2"

Wow, just wow. I figured the patron's of B&B would appreciate this.

 

[the beav]

Interesting-thanks.

The British seem to embrace their eccentrics more than we do.

 

[herbnerd]

Interesting-thanks.

The British seem to embrace their eccentrics more than we do.

The rest of the world calls them mad!

You have to admire the eccentrics. They make life and history much more interesting. And us Brits have more than our fair share of them.

 

[the beav]

The rest of the world calls them mad!

You have to admire the eccentrics. They make life and history much more interesting. And us Brits have more than our fair share of them.

When I lived in London, I bought a nice book called Timpson's English Eccentrics. It made for interesting reading.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

This is a great thread! As a WWII Enthusiast...I hadn't come across this story before. Now I'm going to have to do some more digging

Thanks!

 

[Phog Allen]

Well, this is what I call an Englishman! I'm a Celt at heart and love to torment my English cousins but damn it, this is the stuff of British legend. It is what I think of when I read about the old Empire. You know, back when an English passport would get you access to about 75% of the known world with no problems. Up against machine guns with a Claymore. Somehow I would not have wagered against Mad Jack. These are the kinds of chaps you hope to ride the river with so to speak. These were men. Backbones of solid steel. It would likely not have done to tangle with this gent in a battle. I suspect he exuded an eerie presence coming off the landing craft with pipes in hand! Dang, this makes me want a stiff gin and tonic, a pack of Dunhill cigarettes, and to hear some fighting tunes on the pipes. Who's wi't me?!!!!!

Regards, Todd

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

I wonder what brand of soap he used to shave with? what fragrance?.....rose ??? lol

 

[FreezerBurns]

Well, this is what I call an Englishman! I'm a Celt at heart and love to torment my English cousins but damn it, this is the stuff of British legend. It is what I think of when I read about the old Empire. You know, back when an English passport would get you access to about 75% of the known world with no problems. Up against machine guns with a Claymore. Somehow I would not have wagered against Mad Jack. These are the kinds of chaps you hope to ride the river with so to speak. These were men. Backbones of solid steel. It would likely not have done to tangle with this gent in a battle. I suspect he exuded an eerie presence coming off the landing craft with pipes in hand! Dang, this makes me want a stiff gin and tonic, a pack of Dunhill cigarettes, and to hear some fighting tunes on the pipes. Who's wi't me?!!!!!

Regards, Todd

I'm with you brother! I'd ride the river with this pipes playing, claymore wielding, bow and arrow shooting sumbitch any day of the week. You will never hear a story this powerful even in a Dos Equis commercial... "The World's Most Intersting Man" has nothing on Mad Jack Churchill. Can you imagine, "With claymore in hand, he disembarked the amphibious landing craft as he gleefully played war tunes on his bagpipes while preparing his long-bow to fell a machinegunned man standing in is way."