OK guys. Here is the answer. At the times of Henry V. , battle of Agincourt , 1415 etc., England had a massive force of long-bow archers, who were skilled at raining a devastating barrage of arrows upon their opponents. At the time, these archers were the stars of soldiery, and were held in high regard at the top of the pile.
Whenever any of these archers fell into the hands of the French, the practice was to chop off one of their two string fingers, and their career was over.
So when they faced their enemies before battle commenced, the lined up archers together would thrust their two fingers into the air, in a gesture of defiance and readiness, a deadly signal of what was to come.
So today, when an Englishman flicks the V's at you, he is dismissively announcing that he is ready and able to take you on, although he probably does not realise the significance.
The V for victory sign is a little different in that it is usually presented with the palm facing forward.
Right, I will pass the conch back to Fox. Thank you.