Camelot International > Tower of London

Ray Crook

Military Service & Rank: 25 years in the army: Sergeant Major Grenadier Guards, The Royal Corps of Signals

Yeoman at the Tower Since: 1983

Interests & Hobbies: The English Longbow, The American civil war

Yeoman Warder Ray Crook's interest in the English Longbow stems from his historical knowledge on the battle of Agincourt which took place in 1415. As he is eager to explain On that day the English Longbowman earned the title as the most feared soldier of his time throughout Europe. Expert use of the Longbow enabled the lightly clad British army, numbering around 6,000 to obliterate the 25,000 heavily armoured French Knights and foot-soldiers literally within a matter of minutes. The Longbow is of course no longer used as a weapon and archery is now a highly competitive sport with expertise being the order of the day. Ray eventually took up the Longbow in 1987 after watching a medieval bow shoot in the moat at the Tower of London. He joined their organisation, learned to string a bow and shoot and is now an accomplished Longbowman in his own right. As Chairman of the Tower of London Longbow society Ray often participates in many of the yearly archery displays that take place within the Tower.

During the American civil war of 1861 to 1865 members of various British military factions crossed the Atlantic to act as observers to both sides. One of these was an ancestor of Ray's who was sent overseas to observe the Confederacy. Ray however, became genuinely interested in the civil war while studying military tactics during his army years. In his own words I find the American civil war particularly fascinating because it was the last time in recent history that medieval battle tactics and Napolionic troop formations were used. Being a military man it's hard for me to contemplate endless lines of weary soldiers being ordered to march over open ground to face relentless bombardment from long range cannon, and wall to wall musket fire at point blank range. Ray's interest in the civil war often takes him to the USA and to date he has visited most of the famous battle grounds making many good friends along the way.

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