Military & Other Nicknames

[Doc Vernon]

Always so liked that Tommy Atkins song!

Old Time Song Lyrics for 45 Private Tommy Atkins

And a good site for many more too!

PS Not to do with this type of Hero but brings to mind another of one of my Favourite songs by John Paul Young "Yesterdays Hero" Sorry@@

[Keith at Tregenna]

Tommy

Poems - Tommy

[j.sabourn]

The three armed services over the years have been named accordingly in shortened descriptive singular words to describe. E.G. Army = Tommy, Navy = Jolly Jack. apart from the Air Force and the boys in blue , I have always credited their name in the singular form as Biggles. Anyone have different pet names for. ? The Brylcream boys will spring to most peoples minds but this is not singular unless you knock off the last S. JS.

[Keith at Tregenna]

If we include the ladies: (RN/Army) Lumpy jumpers / Wooly jumpers - (Army) A female soldier as the woolly pully often exagerated the female form. (RAF) WAFF - Dorris, female member of the Royal Air Force / Penguins, term used up to 1980 to describe female members of the RAF. As at that time females didn't fly. Also used by soldiers (in a jocular way, of course) to describe the R.A.F. in general: "Penguins, all flap and no fly." / Scalee(RAF), married airmen/women living in quarters, given they were paid Scale E

K.

[j.sabourn]

The name Andrew to describe the Navy , only found out recently it was called that after a naval recruiter during I think the Napoleonic wars. The term matelot is also from the French word meaning seaman. JS

[Keith at Tregenna]

You are correct, forgot Andrew also feminine of Jack, Jenny.

K.

[Cliff Phillips]

RAF by the Royal Navy - Crab Fats (I was One) due to the uniform colour after the gunge painted on the bottom of their ships. Fish heads for the RN. Airy Fairies for the Fleet Air Airm. Pongos for the Army (My dad was one). Current for females of all the services is Lumpies.

[j.sabourn]

What did you get as a nickname Cliff ? Was it screwdriver ? If had been Jones you would have been Davie or Locker. JS

[Michael Black]

Not military, but some from the yards on the Tyne.
Haversack.....a foreman who was always on your back
Blue light..... because he never went out
Twin peaks......wore a baseball cap under his hard hat
Two pies......a big eater
Fat wallet...... had plenty of money
Snipers nightmare......walked funny
Wheelbarrow......walked with his hands down his side
Undertaker.......dour faced quiet
Scrapyard dog.....always snapping at someone
Physco......self explanatory
One punch......that's all it would take to KO you
Womble......had a big rear
The hat.....he'd work overtime at the drop of a hat
Regards Michael

[John Swan]

Just to make all those Aussie Geordies jealous, I,m sitting having a coffee & cheese scone in Low Lights cafe , North Shields. Happy days.