Melon Shooters?

[Guest AmericanDoughboy]

Hello,

I have read various stories about sometimes the British soldiers would have some fun and stick melons and other fruits upon the toffee-apple mortar shooter and fire them at the German trench. I do not remember where reading such a thing, but was this common? I have heard the story from Martin Middlebrook's book "The First Day on the Somme" about the mortars shooting off food to the Germans and then them leaping up and being shot at as a diversion.

Kind regards,

-Doughboy

[CROONAERT]

I have read various stories about sometimes the British soldiers would have some fun and stick melons and other fruits upon the toffee-apple mortar shooter and fire them at the German trench.

How?

Using a trench catapult, maybe (and I've also heard some similar stories using this method of delivery - from both sides) . Using a mortar, I very much doubt it. (I can't really see melons being in huge supply in the trenches either!)

I think I'd take these stories with a pinch of salt, to be honest.

Dave.

[mcderms]

The first question to answer is where would they get the fruit from in the first place? If a Tommy got hold of a melon he wouldn't shoot it at the Boche - he'd eat it!