Informal Personal Nicknames For Ww1 & Ww2 Soldiers.

[joko]

Im trying to think of some cliche nicknames for 'the chaps', what they'd have called each other.

You hear of them being referred like they would have at school - by shortened surnames, or a physical attribute.

I'm thinking of the daft sort hugh laurie used in Blackadder goes forth.

any ideas?

thanks :)

[ToraToraTora]

bumfluff, badger, strangley brown!, gussie etc

[Buenchico]

At one time it seemed to be mandatory for every British World War II movie to have a Chalky, a Whitey, a Nobby and a Jock, possibly alongside a Shorty and a Lofty.

[woofgang]

Nipper, Bugs or Buggsy,

[Buenchico]

Let's not forget the ubiquitous Ginger!

[ToraToraTora]

.....and algie!

[Togo]

We need a Motty, a Foxy, and there is always a Gimpy in every unit.

[woofgang]

Smithy, Jonesy. John-0

[Peter Pedant]

you had names they were called and names you addressed them by
Pills clearly wasnt said to their faces
hippopotamos wasnt either

and of course the officers may have nick names for each other which were not allowed for the ranks
and the ranks referred to the officers in insulting terms which were kept from the officers

sorry

so you have a name and a referent
and the pairs vary down the ranks

sorry again

[Buenchico]

If your surname was Miller, there was a very good chance that you'd be called Dusty.

[Jackdaw33]

In the army the other ranks refer to officers as Ruperts. When I was in the RAF officers were known as Zobbits, don't know where it came from.

[jadyn]

As well as Jock, don't forget Taff!

Anyone with the surname Brown was also known as Fizz - I did read an explanation of this some years ago but have long forgotten.