Ave, Medicus. Morituri Te Salutant.

[sariagray]

Saluting is an interesting action. 

Let me explain.

 

A month or so ago, I finally got around to watching the "Ten" specials ("The Next Doctor," "Planet of the Dead," "The Waters of Mars," and "The End of Time") and my father stumbled into the living room in the midst of "Planet of the Dead."

Captain Erisa Magambo of UNIT had just saluted the Doctor and my father pointed out something interesting (and quite probably untrue, from what I've read). 

A former US Military man (Air Force, during 'Nam), he felt obliged to tell me that the British open-palm salute is indicative of either having lost or forfeited a war. Americans salute palm-down because we have no lost (or forfeited, I'm still unclear) a war, but it's on a slight tilt because it's iffy (I think this last part is a joke). Considering that, let's do a brief review, in pictures.

Wilf salutes here, open-palmed. This is a logical thing, so I assume. He is a military man and Knows His Stuff.



More Wilf, more open-palmed saluting. And a Union Jack in the background, to boot.



Captain Erisa Magambo of UNIT also salutes with an open palm, fingers at the temple. This picture...amuses me greatly. The look on her face makes me giggle, but that's neither here nor there.



The best is when Rory salutes Americans with an open-palm and says "America salutes you." It wasn't just the British accent that was hilarious, but if what my father says is true, he is totally using the British salute. I literally laughed so hard I couldn't breathe when I saw this. Thanks, Dad. You're the reason my keyboard is now slightly sticky with spit-out coffee.

 

Ahh. But! Here is where it gets interesting.
 

   

 

What is up with Jack!? Is this...his attempt at being fake-American? Is this a Boeshanian salute? Does ANY other person (who is not distinctly from another country) salute like this in the Whoniverse? I feel like this is somehow important to Jack's character. And, even if the common belief about saluting in Great Britain versus America is untrue, it IS apparently the common belief and therefore it could be an intentional thing on the part of the actors/creators. 

 

What does everyone else think? I'm curious.

 

Comments

[welsh-scotsman.livejournal.com]

this is really interesting and i havel iterally just spent half an hour looking it all up ;)

interestingly, jack's salute is correct for a british naval officer which i assume he would not have been as he has an RAF (royal air force) coat ;) it differs from an raf salute in that the palm is at 90 degrees. this apparently evolved as it was considered bad form to salute your superiors with a dirty palm from the ships engines and so on.

ironically, his salute is more correct that wilf's or the UNIT person's as technically, the fingers should just be touching the corner of the eye or hat :)

no idea about american salutes so i'll take your word for that although i would be disinclined to believe the bit about the open palm meaning lost/forfeited a war as we have won a fair few:) maybe it comes from having an open hand as if to kind of show the person they're unarmed? i dont tknow. the raf and army i think use it ;)

i have probably gone completely off on a tangent but you might find this interesting ;)

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

Well, essentially, the theory is that you could win 866887690863 wars and lose and/or forfeit only 1, and it would still count. I...just called my father at work to ask him. This is Important Business lol

American salutes look, generally, like Jack's. Kind of like this.

I based my argument to my father on the Wikipedia article, too, but he concurs that even if it is untrue, it's one of those...stories that people generally believe is true. Like an urban legend. So it stands to reason that this could be the reason behind the inclusion of different types of salutes.

That said, the Rory bit is STILL hilarious, because I don't think anyone in America salutes with an open-palm.