Civil war military unit question...

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Was at Dunster castle earlier this week. A presentation discussed various military units during the civil war while the castle was under siege.

One particular unit the presenter took much delight in describing were the men who stood behind the pikemen. Instead of a 16ft long pike, they had a similar pike, which was only about 6ft long. They were there solely to finish off riders launched off horses (stopped by the pikemen) and any cavalry who got through.

Any idea whay these units were called? I'll swear it begins with a b?
 
Do you mean the weapons Becs de Corbin or Becs de faucon? If so I'd like to know what ECW group was demonstrating them because they had slipped well out of use by the mid 16th century let alone the mid 17th.

**Edit** D'oh, or Billmen as above, again mostly out of fashion by the Mid 17th C. especially on the open battlefield, you might see tham during sieges and units stood sentinal.
 
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Do you mean the weapons Becs de Corbin or Becs de faucon? If so I'd like to know what ECW group was demonstrating them because they had slipped well out of use by the mid 16th century let alone the mid 17th.

**Edit** Or Billmen as above, again mostly out of fashion by the Mid 17th C. especially on the open battlefield, you might see tham during sieges and units stood sentinal.

The weapon he demonstrated their job with was more akin to a halbert? - http://www.aurorahistoryboutique.com/products/C000036_L.jpg

It looked like it had a 'bill' but also had a spike and a blade on the opposite side to the bill.


He demonstrated:-
- Catching a sword inbetween the spear and the side blade part - A quick 90 degree twist could then disarm the individual.
- If a horse was charging, kneel down, with the weapon pointing behind you. As the horse went but, spin it around to catch the horses legs with the "bill"?
- Disembowling an individual by sinking the weapons into their stomach, turning it around and pulling out. :eek:


There seemed to be an English, almost sort of slang term, for these men who cleaned up behind the pikemen...
 
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The weapon he demonstrated their job with was more akin to a halbert? - http://www.aurorahistoryboutique.com/products/C000036_L.jpg

It looked like it had a 'bill' but also had a spike and a blade on the opposite side to the bill.

Sounds like a standard English War Bill, there were many designs all were ostensibly based on the agricultural implement on a long haft.


There seemed to be an English, almost sort of slang term, for these men who cleaned up behind the pikemen...

By the English Civil Wars there wasn't really any such role; Short polearms were more indicative men who carried rank within the unit rather than issued as a weapon (A tradition maintained with Line infantry Sergeants carrying a Spontoon up to the Napoleonic period).

More organised infantry regiments in the 17th century period would try to orgainse themselves with 2 Musketeers to every 1 Pikeman since the Musket by now was the power on the battlefield, although interestingly the Pike still carried seniority within the Regiments (referred to as 'Gentleman of the Pike') the Musketeers being nothing more than a group of 'Rude Mechanicals'. Man power was at a premium in a Regiment and waisting it on specialities tertiary to the main arms (Such as a unit to mop up behind a Regiment) of a fighting unit would just not have been very common at all.
 
The 6ft Pike was called a Halberd, and the Units who used them Halberdiers, however there are varying types of similar weapons including the Glaive, Pollaxe, English Bill, Bec de Corbin, and Partisan and so on......all has a similar function and are generally referred to commonly as Polearms.....

The German Landsknechte used the 6metre Pike supplemented by the 6ft Halberd and the 6ft two handed Great Sword in their Pike Square formations to great effect against Mounted heavy Cavalry and this was picked up on by the English for a short time......which is probably what the documentary was referring to.
 
It's called a halberd I think


Halberd_MORR1913.jpg



I knew all that time spent playing D&D was worth it :)
 
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