The Broad Arrow

The Broad Arrow. . , The Broad Arrow, or "crow's foot", is the traditional symbol of British military property and is found throughout Bermuda on milestones and boundary stones, several fine examples of which are on display at the Maritime Museum. The Broad Arrow is often accompanied by letters such as WD (War Department) or BM (Bench Mark). Since it was also used as a reference point, it frequently appears with a number., The Broad Arrow appears in many places in the Dockyard; it is set onto many of the bollards and appears in several places on the ramparts as survey reference points., The origins of the Broad Arrow as a mark of Royal ownership lie in the formation of the Royal Artillery during Marlborough's wars in the 1690's when Lord Romney was appointed Master General of Artillery and adopted his family's coat of arms, the Broad Arrow, as one of the badges of Ordnance Corps. The symbol has been used for many centuries, even at one time on the clothing of prisoners. Because the Ordnance Corps was responsible for the British Government mapping service, until recently known as the Ordnance Survey, the Broad Arrow was used as a height reference point or bench mark for surveying and mapping., It has the advantage of being very distinct and easy to make with three strokes of a pen or chisel.