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Wartime French picture postcard |
Trivia from and about the Great War Era
I'm sure this page will be under construction for quite some time. Please feel free to e-mail me with any trivia items you'd like to see included here.
Wartime Cartoons |
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Bruce Bairnsfather Collection |
| The ideal and the real |
| In and Out |
| The Soldier's Dream |
| Coiffure in the trenches |
| That evening star-shell |
| "Leave" |
| Singing and whistling |
| Happy Memories of the Zoo |
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Assorted |
| Rollin Kirby - Doughboy at Cantigny |
| Louis Raemaekers - Kaiser with war and hunger |
| Louis Raemaekers - Neutral America |
| Unknown - European chess game |
| Unknown - Russian soldier whipping the Kaiser |
| Unknown - French boyscout being executed |
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British cigarette card |
Movies |
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| Hearts of the World, 1917 |
| J'accuse, 1919 |
| Wings, 1927 |
| All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930 |
| Sergeant York, 1941 |
| The Great War Movie Listing |
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Wartime Lifebouy soap advertisement |
Slang |
- alleyman
- British for a German (from the French Allemand, meaning German)
- ammos
- standard issue boots
- antonio
- Portuguese soldier
- archie
- anti-aircraft fire
- banjo
- Aussie for shovel
- barker
- sausage (thinking they were made of dog meat) also referred to a pistol.
- boko
- a lot (from the French beaucoup)
- bonk, to
- shell with artillery fire
- bonzer
- good, cool
- bung
- cheese
- burgoo
- porridge
- buzzer
- field telephone
- chit
- written message
- chub
- Shut up!
- conchie
- conscientious objector
- crump
- shell-burst
- digger
- ANZAC
- dixie
- food container
- duck board
- the boards used to line the bottom of trenches
- egg
- hand grenade (or bomb)
- emma gee
- machine gun (phonetic)
- ersatz
- German reserves
- fleabag
- sleeping bag/bedroll (often referring to that of an officer)
- fritz
- a German
- furphie
- Aussie for rumour
- heinie
- a German
- hop the bags
- going over the top
- igaree
- Aussie for "hurry up!" (alternate spelling: Iggry)
- kitch
- Aussie term for British soldiers (from Kitchener)
- maconochie
- canned stew
- napoo
- done, used up
- phutt
- to stop functioning
- possie
- Aussie for position. As in "we"ve got a good possie here"
- possy
- Jam. Not to be confused with "possie"
- provo
- military police
- ragtime
- disorderly/absurd
- rooti
- bread
- rosalie
- French for bayonet
- sammy
- early name for American soldiers
- san fairy ann
- British term of resignation - "it just doesn't matter" (from the French Ca ne fait rien)
- sausage
- observation balloon
- skilly
- gruel
- stunt
- an attack or raid
- toc emma
- trench mortar (phonetic)
- uncle charlie
- full marching orders
- yperite
- mustard gas
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Sheet music for It's a Long Way to Tipperary |
Songs Be sure to check out the audio clips in the Media Room.
Looking for WWI sheet music and/or lyrics? Check out: ø The Sheet Music Archive at Duke University.
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Mademoiselle from Armenteers (Armentieres)
Mademoiselle from Armenteers,
Parlez-vous,
Mademoiselle from Armenteers,
Parlez-vous,
Mademoiselle from Armenteers,
She hasn't been kissed for forty years,
Hinky-dinky parlez-vous.
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The Old Barbed Wire
This extended version was contributed by Eric Sanders
If you want to find the sergeant,
I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the sergeant,
I know where he is,
He's lying on the canteen floor,
I've seen him, I've seen him,
Lying on the canteen floor,
I've seen him,
Lying on the canteen floor.
If you want to find the quarter-bloke,
I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the quarter-bloke,
I know where he is,
He's miles and miles behind the line,
I've seen him, I've seen him,
Miles and miles behind the line,
I've seen him,
Miles and miles and miles behind the line.
If you want to find the sergeant-major
I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the sergeant-major
I know where he is,
He's boozing up the private's rum.
I've seen him, I've seen him,
Boozing up the private's rum.
I've seen him,
Boozing up the private's rum.
If you want to find the CO,
I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the CO,
I know where he is,
He's down in the deep dug-outs.
I've seen him, I've seen him,
Down in the deep dug-outs
I've seen him,
Down in the deep dug-outs.
If you want to find the old battalion,
I know where they are, I know where they are.
If you want to find the old battalion,
I know where they are,
They're hanging on the old barbed wire.
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em,
Hanging on the old barbed wire,
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em,
Hanging on the old barbed wire.
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It's a Long Way to Tipperary (Parody)
This adapted version was contributed by Chuck Veit
That's the wrong way to tickle Marie,
That's the wrong way to kiss!
Don't you know that over here, lad
They like it best like this!
Hooray pour la France!
Farewell Angleterre!
We didn't know the way to tickle Marie,
But we learned how over here!
Source: Sound Off, pub. 1929. The book states that while British troops orginated this version, it soon became popular with the Americans.
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Over There (by George M. Cohan)
Over There
Over There
Send the word
Send the word
Over There
That the Yanks are coming
The Yanks are coming
The drums rum-tuming everywhere.
Over There
Say a prayer
Send the word
Send the word
To beware.
It will be over
We're coming over
And we won't come back
Till it's over
Over There
Johnnie get your gun
Get your gun, get your gun
Back in town to run
Home to run, home to run
Hear them calling you and me
Every son of liberty
Hurry right away
Don't delay go today
Make your daddy glad
To have had such a lad
Tell your sweetheart not to pine
To be proud their boy's in line.
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The Watch on the Rhine
There sounds a call like thunder's roar,
Like the crash of swords, like the surge of waves.
To the Rhine, the Rhine, the German Rhine!
Who will the stream's defender be?
Dear Fatherland, rest quietly.
Sure stands and true the watch,
The watch on the Rhine.
To heaven he gazes. Spirits of heroes look down.
He vows with proud battle-desire:
O Rhine! You will stay as German as my breast!
Dear Fatherland, rest quietly.
Sure stands and true the watch,
The watch on the Rhine.
Even if my heart breaks in death,
You will never be French.
As you are rich in water
Germany is rich in hero's blood.
Dear Fatherland, rest quietly.
Sure stands and true the watch,
The watch on the Rhine.
So long as a drop of blood still glows,
So long as a hand the dagger can draw,
So long an arm the rifle can hold -
Never will an enemy touch your shore.
Dear Fatherland, rest quietly.
Sure stands and true the watch,
The watch on the Rhine.
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