This little amusing historical question is from my daily Car Talk desk calendar:

Question:
In 1415, English King Henry V invaded France. After months of battle without victory, Henry decided to pack his bags. His army was tired, ill, and desperate for a proper cup of Earl Grey.

The French had outnumbered the Brits four to one. They pledged to smash the invaders, then take the surviving Brits and remove certain body parts so they couldn't fight again. (Not those parts, sicko!).

Heavy rain fell, and the French got bogged down. The Brits wan! To celebrate, they displayed the parts that would have been cut off. What were they brandishing? (Hint: The gesture is now a popular symbol.)

Answer:
The English forces consisted primarily of longbow archers, while the French were bogged down in a valley. The English overwhelmed them with a rain of arrows from above.
Thye French had threatened to cut off the index and middle fingers of each bowman's right hand, which are used ot pull back the bowstring.
By holding up those two fingers, the English (not Richard Nixon) invented the "V" for Victory sign.

Sacre bleu!
After doing some quick research online, this piece of trivia is frequently cited as true, but there are some historians who express doubts. Good story, though.
My question:
How did the two fingers become a symbol for peace?