I would think that they have used paper many times.

And many times the word did not even had to be said ,If the problem was going on and the boss and the skipper were just looking at each other a simple nod would do (never even speak a word)

Then you have the boss that would say it right in a room of skippers and or soldiers, In some of the small family's you had soldiers that could be skippers in a large family .

There had been thousands(that no one knows anything) of hits through the times so i am sure it all has been done.

Then you have the hand shaped like a gun and not a word said.