Posted by Forrest Brownell on September 26, 1997 at 19:22:02:
In Reply to: Re: John & Nancy , Timothy & Peggy etc. etc. posted by Tim Johns on September 25, 1997 at 15:14:47:
I am unfamiliar with the works of Messrs (or is it Mesdames?) Mill and Boone
and Hull and Whitlock, and, if I read Mr Johns aright, I will not soon be
seeking a closer acquaintance. I would, however, like to learn more about the
New Statesman parody.
In espousing the cause of those interested in extending and amplifying
Ransome's works, I have, I suppose, contributed in some measure to the
'saccharine fancies' which now trouble Mr Johns. I trust that his distress will
be short-lived, and I hope that, despite his fears, he will not now find himself
under fire. If he does wake to shells bursting overhead, however, he should
worry more about Lieutenant Shrapnel's legacy than that of the
Fliegerabwehrkommando*.
As luck would have it, even before I inadvertently added to Mr Johns burdens
I was already in his debt. Should the worst come to pass, therefore, I will be
only too happy to lend him my old flak vest and steel pot (helmet). They are
heavy and hot, to be sure, and they show considerable wear, but they are still
substantially intact. I once found them to be a very great comfort; I'm certain
that Mr Johns will find them no less so today.
Forrest
*'Flak' is derived from 'Fliegerabwehrkanonen' ('antiaircraft guns').
Lieutenant (later General) Henry Shrapnel devised the first truly efficient
fused, fragmenting shell. His 'spherical case' saw wide employment by British
forces during the Napoleonic wars, and its descendants continue in use to this
day. 'Shrapnel', of course, is now also the generic term for the lethal metallic
detritus produced by exploding munitions of all types.