“Fun Facts Saturday”
Unlike American troops, British troops salute by “slapping” the back of their hand against their forehead with the palm facing forward. Several former colonies of the British Empire follow this tradition, including: Australia, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan.
The predominant theory for the origin of this salute is that Medieval knights used their hand to raise their visors in order to reveal their identity. This is my favorite explanation, but it is somewhat doubtful.
Interestingly, the British Royal Navy has a different salute. Sailors salute with the hand horizontal, and the palm facing down toward the ground. The reason for this salute is that sailors often had tar and grease on their hands, and it was undignified to present a dirty palm to a commander.
The U.S. Navy followed British Navy palm-down tradition for the same reason. Apparently, the U.S. Marines, often serving on ships, adopted this style of salute, and the U.S. Army followed suit.
Interestingly, soldiers and marines have learned not to salute superior officers in combat areas. Snipers use salutes to identify prime, high-ranking targets. (Remember, Admiral Lord Nelson, in full uniform, was killed by a French sniper during the famous naval Battle of Trafalgar.)
(“Why does the military insist on saluting?” BBC News, 5 Jan 2015; “Salute,” Wikipedia.)
Australia
India
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Benny Hill
(Website: londonedition.net)
The London Edition 