h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...military burying has very strict rules about how many salute shots are to be fired,etc...I read somewhere that French units fired not across the grave but into it - any historians here?

Pit

Burial of the Spanish-American War Casualties At Arlington National Cemetery, 1899 is the lowest reference found the rifles are held at the horizontal as in volley fire at the enemy, the US forces seem to hold the rifles at the lowest angle just above the horizontal

British and Colonial the highest almost vertical, this seems to be the norm from the Crimea onward.

The French seem to do the same as do any European armies as far as it is possible to tell.

Burning the black powder era it would not be desirable to fire into the ground owing to the rubbish expelled form the rifle and the slow dispersal of the smoke.

Any help

Bob,

thanks for clearing this. I must admit the info I had was a bit dodgy to begin with - I read it in the Flashman Papers, which ought to be taken with one pinch of salt per page. Splendid books though; it's a pity they can't be translated without losing half the fun. (Well - choosing Richard Lester as director when they made the first volume into a movie wasn't too brilliant an idea either.)
I had a look at your space btw - looks like we share quite a few likes and hobbies, although, due to severe lack of folding stuff, most of mine are mainly in theory or in total hibernation fttb.

Thanks again, and mate

Pit