Dutch Warbow Society visit Crecy & Agincourt
By Nils Visser
Pictures of a few members of the Dutch Warbow Society who visited a number of old battlefields in France in the weekend of the 24th and 25th of March. Most pictures by Nils Visser, Kay Klomp and Erik Mesdag.
The weekend's colours: The Amsterdam Triple Crosses and the St George.
Yours truly, enjoying a morning session in the garden.
Family at play
Lunch at HQ
Archer's Salute
We got a few odd looks in the supermarket, some uncanny French sixth sense for knowing who the foreigners are.
Off to war with women and you end up shopping for clothes.
Erik shops with style
Booze, booze, booze
The Battlefield of Crecy. Myself with arm outstretched teaching a short history lesson. What a classroom!
Testing a new experimental longbow
Rarrrr
Ready for more serious work
Nock, draw, loose
easyaccess
The tower at the supposed location of King Edward's windmill. The flags there where the Prince of Wales, the Black Prince, commanded the English right flank.
enjoying every minute
Lost in contemplation
Something's being discussed
Girllll power
Grab an arrow
line-up
getting into the swing
Kay's discovered a new angle...
...which is working out nicely...
...and again.
and another one. The field looks lovely, but there's flint everywhere and on occasion you'd hear an arrow shatter on impact.
action shot
Surveying the Battlefield
fetching the fletching
Our bowyer back to work. The English had about 4,000 to 5,000 archers on this hilltop on that summer's day in 1346
All capable of launching more than 10 arrows a minute.
Say Fromage
End of the day
The monument behind the first English position at the Maisoncelle side of the field.
The museum. I'm not vain, the others were very rude with regard to the poor horse.
More museum
Paying our respects at the monument for the French dead.
Prepping Agincourt. This is the Archer's Road, most often associated with the second English position. The more likely place is half a mile away.
Opening volley, father and son. In the wrong direction, by the by. Reason: grass on this side of the road, crops planted on the correct side of the road, but farmers aint too pleased when you start trampling over crops.
Where did that arrow go?
The other side of the line-up.
Just to rifle a few people: Load your bow, aim, fire ;-)
Ok, nock, draw, loose.
Lovely authentic oak carts in the background. Ahum.
Parting shot.
Comments
Looks like a grand time! "Someday" I keep telling myself! I would love to visit Agincourt very much. Those experimental bows, how did they turn out?! haha!
- Author
Cody,
If and when you do come Cody, be sure to get in touch with me, the AWS is just as welcome to use my place in France as the DWS is. Provided I'm there and everybody listens to me!. Experimental bows, well, I think we managed a ten yard flight.
Very Cool