Re: Buckingham bullets, was (ahem!)

----- Original Message -----
From: John Atkinson <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 10:16 PM
Subject: Re: Buckingham bullets, was (ahem!)

>
> --- Robin Paul <Robin.Paul@tesco.net> wrote:
>
> > I recall, from reading Biggles books, something
> > about British pilots
> > carrying written orders if using Buckingham
> > ammunition (for balloon-busting
> > on the Western Front), in an attempt to protect the
> > pilot from accusations
> > of using illegal weapons.  I've no idea if this is
> > correct or not, but W E
> > Johns was a RFC pilot. Perhaps it was an unofficial
> > practice on the part of
> > front line officers, rather than a legal
> > requirement?
>
> It couldn't be a legal requirement because written
> orders to commit warcrimes (if Buckingham ammunition
> is in fact illegal) do not excuse their actual
> commission.
SNIP
>
> John

Sorry, I wasn't clear.	I think the written orders were along the lines
of
"Capt. Bigglesworth is to attack enemy kite-balloons near Douai" and
therefore has good reason for using Buckingham ammo, rather than
swinishly
intending to set aeroplanes alight.  The author was writing children's
books
20 years later, so I'm not suggesting it's perfect evidence!

Rob Paul