Thread by @Paperclip_In

Remember the breathtaking knife throwing sequence from ‘Joi Baba Felunath’? If you are an admirer of the exceptionally dangerous skill, the story of Grey Otter – a man who mastered the ancient skill like no other and fought the Nazis, is just for you. 1/13

Everyone, Ray fan or not, held their breath when Arjun (Kamu Mukherjee) demonstrated his impeccable knife throwing skills while ‘Jatayu’ (Santosh Dutta) stood against an improvised wall. 2/13

Ray was able to create the shot during a period when special effects were inconceivable,, especially in India, because he had Abhay Mitra at his disposal – the man who threw the knives at Santosh Dutta behind the scenes. 3/13

Mitra was famous for his jugglery skills but wasn’t as accomplished when it came to knife throwing. In reality, given the dangers involved, knife throwing remains a relatively uncommon act. 4/13

The man recognised as the greatest exponent of this skill in recorded history, has an equally incredible story. George E. “Skeeter” Vaughan a.k.a Grey Otter was an American Cherokee Indian who worked in more than 100 movies, TV shows and commercials. 5/13

Thanks to his unparalleled knife and tomahawk throwing skills, he didn’t have to struggle too much to get a job as a stuntman in Hollywood. Even when there was no script for him to work on, he would run his show business, leaving his audience gaping. 6/13

His bikini-clad assistant’s gorgeous, scar-free skin bore witness that Vaughan had never missed, or rather hit. This glamor however came later in his life, he learnt to hit the bull’s eye at a very early age from his grandfather while scavenging for food. 7/13

When the US entered WWII, he didn’t think twice about enlisting. His first assignment was in June of 1944. Vaughan and 5 other men were sent to seize a German bunker with a pillbox on the Siegfried Line to make way for an American assault. 8/13

Vaughan and his men began their journey with a climb up a snowy hill, reaching the nearest hiding spot from the bunker, about 35 yards away. To make matters worse, they found a Nazi soldier was guarding the bunker facing away from the hill. 9/13

The soldier needed to be eliminated silently so as not to warn the other soldiers hiding inside the bunker. Knowing of Vaughan’s skill, the commander had chosen him to carry out the attack. 10/13

It was the moment when his abilities were subject to the most intense test, subsequently earning him legendary status. He crawled as far as he could through the deep snow, took out his bayonet and threw it with a high trajectory. 11/13

The knife flew like a pinwheel and penetrated the skull of the Nazi soldier in a flash. The soldier dropped dead with his face down in the snow with no sound, allowing Vaughan and his men to take out the bunker and the remaining Nazi soldiers in it. 12/13

The distance traversed by Vaughan’s bayonet to kill the Nazi soldier was later measured to be 87 feet – making it the longest successful knife throw in a battle. Considering the distance, it would probably remain unsurpassed forever even on stage, let alone a battlefield. 13/13

Sources:
“Juggler Abhay Mitra Passes Away”. bangla.latestly.com/entertainment/…
“HEROIC CHEROKEE KNIFE THROWER VS. NAZI: THE NAZI LOSES”. blademag.com/knife-history/…
Cornelius, Jim. “Grey Otter Never Missed”. frontierpartisans.com/8080/grey-owl-…

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