Story behind the pic: Two-finger salute that said it all

[Louis]

British Lt. Jack Reynolds, who passed away on 2019 at 97, making his famous gesture towards a cameraman whom he noticed was grinning at the British prisoners as they were paraded before him.

Reynolds, who served in the 2nd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, won the Military Cross in Sicily in 1943 during the first major airborne operation carried out by Allied forces.

He was subsequently, on 19 Sept 1944, was captured at Arnhem: Lt Reynolds and his men were overrun by Germans several days after 10,000 British airborne troops landed behind the enemy lines in Holland.

As he was taken as a prisoner of war, Lt Reynolds spotted a German cameraman filming the captured Brits and flicked the V-sign out of anger and frustration.

He said: "I was so angry at the loss of fine young men and the carnage. Down the road I saw a German chap with a camera and a huge grin on his face and I thought what a b*****d and gave him the opposite 'V' sign'. It was an act of defiance but a momentary lapse of military discipline, which given the circumstance seemed totally justifiable!"

Lt Reynolds spent the rest of the war in a PoW camp in Brunswick, Germany. The camp was freed in April 1945 by US forces and he returned home.

 

[Otosan]

Can't tell from the photo, is that the one fingered salute?

 

[Louis]

Can't tell from the photo, is that the one fingered salute?

It textually says:

"In the photo, he is seen giving the “two-fingered” salute to the German photographer. The British hand gesture is an offensive gesture similar to the middle finger in other countries".

 

[Otosan]

Thanks. Guess I've never seen that particular gesture before

 

[Louis]

Thanks. Guess I've never seen that particular gesture before

Honestly, neither me.

 

[DoubleD]

It’s quintessentially British, used far more than the single middle finger until recent years, which seems to have gained popularity with UK youth driven from US TV culture.

 

[Rico]

Iconic pic explains it all

 

[DoubleD]

It's basically F*ck you. Rumours suggest its linked to English bowman showing the French they have their fingers to kill Frenchmen, and that the French cut off the fingers of any bowman they caught, but there's no historical proof to support the idea, though it does sound great

 

[Otosan]

Finally, a clear picture. Thanks Rico. As a non Brit I would have interpreted that as V for victory, a la Churchill. I guess the Victory sign was palm outwards rather back of the hand outwards as in the photo. Good to know if I ever wish to flash the Victory sign (or peace sign today) in Britain. I can avoid an unintentional cultural faux pas and a potential punch up.

 

[Louis]

It's basically F*ck you. Rumours suggest its linked to English bowman showing the French they have their fingers to kill Frenchmen, and that the French cut off the fingers of any bowman they caught, but there's no historical proof to support the idea, though it does sound great

Interesting your entry. It led me to find on the internet and I came across that story:

This salute dates back to the English Longbowman who fought the French during the Hundred Years War (1337 – 1453). The French hated the English archers who used the Longbow with such devastating effect. Any English archers who were caught by the French had their Index and middle fingers chopped off from their right hand- a terrible penalty for an archer. This led to the practice of the English archers, especially in siege situations, taunting their French enemy with their continued presence by raising their two fingers in the ‘Two-Fingered Salute’ meaning “You haven’t cut off my fingers !”

 

[DoubleD]

Interesting your entry. It led me to find on the internet and I came across that story:

This salute dates back to the English Longbowman who fought the French during the Hundred Years War (1337 – 1453). The French hated the English archers who used the Longbow with such devastating effect. Any English archers who were caught by the French had their Index and middle fingers chopped off from their right hand- a terrible penalty for an archer. This led to the practice of the English archers, especially in siege situations, taunting their French enemy with their continued presence by raising their two fingers in the ‘Two-Fingered Salute’ meaning “You haven’t cut off my fingers !”

The issue is that there is no historical reference to the act before the early 20th century. The 'salute' only really starts to be mentioned a longtime post the use of the long bow. It's still my default response to a display of poor driving skills, opposed to the middle finger or the pinched thumb and finger. All good fun

 

[mTk]

-"It's still my default response to a display of poor driving skills, opposed to the middle finger or the pinched thumb and finger..."
Oooh. I am soo going to use that!

 

[Blady]

I always thought it was like a "stick these where the sun doesn't shine" kind of symbol, especially since the motion that accompanies it is a "sticking it in something" motion...