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Old 14th Jan 2015, 09:46
  #15 (permalink)  
teeteringhead

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TTN I assure you I could bore you for hours on the subject of aigulettes and Royal Ciphers various! (there are 2 sizes of cypher too!)

One explanation I heard of the narrow, conical bits at the end of aigulettes is that they were a cavalry thing. (ADCs were historically normally cavalry, as they could ride across the battlefield to give subordinate commanders the boss' intent - especially useful when there was no mobile signal .....)

They were (allegedly) used by cavalry when they overran the bad guys artillery, to (literally) "spike their guns" by hammering said points into cannons' touch holes. Cavalry could then retire to safety of own lines, leaving u/s enemy guns behind.
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