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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

View Set
 
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

View Set
 
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



British cigarette card


Movies

View Set
 
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





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



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.

 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.
 The Old Barbed Wire
Contribution
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.
 It's a Long Way to Tipperary (Parody)
Contribution
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.
 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.
 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.