Regimental nicknames, Now's your time! Options

[PAB]

Not too sure on this one, but where the Royal artillery known as the 'dropshorts' due to faulty, badly made shells falling short in our trenches?

Regards,

P.

[Nick]

Not quite a nickname but my old grandad always said that "BUFFS" stood for "Buried Under Fifty Foot of Sh...."

[J T Gray]

And the Essex Regiment was the "Birdcatchers" - having captured an Eagle standard during the Napoleonic War (and not just in Bernard Cornwell's imagination)

Suffolk Regiment - formerly 12th Foot - "Dirty Dozen"

Adrian

[CROONAERT]

The old one of course - RAMC - "Rob All My Comrades"

Cheers
Edward

...or "Run Away Mother's Coming".

There are inumerable plays on initials for most regiments, but I wouldn't exactly classify them as Regimental nicknames.

Dave. (ex. "Queers, Lesbians and Rejects" - Queens Lancashire Regiment (QLR)- not one we called ourselves!!! )

[Kate Wills]

The initials of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars (QOOH) were similarly applied in jest as 'Queer Objects On Horseback'.

[shawbridge]

Hi,
I’m fairly certain that the 15th (1st Glasgow) Service Battalion, the 16th (2nd Glasgow) Service Battalion, and the 17th (3rd Glasgow) Service Battalions of the HLI were know respectively as: “The Boozy First”, “The Holy Second” & “ The Featherbed Third”.

This apparently came about because the Fifteenth were initially recruited from the Glasgow Tramways Dept. and being ordinary Glaswegian working men no doubt enjoyed “a wee swally” now and again.
The Sixteenth contained a large number of ex-Boys Brigade members and the Seventeenth was raised by the Chamber of Commerce and contained a large number of ex white-collar workers.

Seasons Greetings,
Shaw.

[C729LEE]

Hey, you just answered my question on units just as I posted, SPOOKY!
Lee in Lincs

[CROONAERT]

"The Nightjars" - 10/Manchesters - due to their successes at night attacks , especially in August 1918.

The "Cherrypickers" - the 11th(?) Hussars

Dave. (Just remembered the (modern (though maybe older for the 14th Hussars) and unnofficial and not used by themselves) nickname of my local cavalry regiment, the 14/20 Hussars - the "Shitehawks".

[BeppoSapone]

The "Cherrypickers" - the 11th(?) Hussars

Dave. (Just remembered the (modern (though maybe older for the 14th Hussars) and unnofficial and not used by themselves) nickname of my local cavalry regiment, the 14/20 Hussars - the "Shitehawks".

Dave

You are right, it was the 11th Hussars who were known as 'The Cherry-Pickers'.

They were also known, in polite society, as 'The Cherubims'. By the rest of the army they were known as 'The Cherry Bums'.

See here for more Cavalry nicknames: http://www.harryflashman.org/cavalry.htm

[Andrew P]

The battalions of the 8th Brigade AIF, 29th, 30th, 31st & 32nd, were nicknamed 'Tivey's Chocs'. This name came from the other two Brigades of the 5th Division who believed that the commander of the 8th Brigade, Brigadier Tivey smothered his soldiers with kindness and treated them like chocolate soldiers.

Another one was the 14th Battalion AIF which was known as 'Jacka's Mob' after the first Australian VC winner of the war.

[lionboxer]

Norfolks - always known as the Holy Boys from the Penninsular Wars when the Spannish mistook their Britannia badge for the Virgin Mary. Also the Hungry Ninth possibly during the same period when they sold their bibles for food. My father, an ex Norfolk once told me he thought that both these nicknames came about when they tore the pages from their bibles to use as cigarette papers. This sounds as though it could be WW1 vintage. All interesting stuff!!
Lionboxer

[DrB]

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your contributions. Amazing stuff has been presented here and I love the esoteric little stories behind some of them.
I even picked up one from another thread written by harrybetts regarding the "skinheads."
I hope you all have a very happy holiday with your loved ones.
DrB

[jdajd]

The AEF 27th Division (who were attached to the British 4th Army) were alternately called O'Ryans Roughnecks or O'Ryan's Travelling Circus because they were constantly on the move.

The 107th Inf. Reg, part of the 27th, were called Silk-Stocking soldiers because many of them came from the richest families in New York.

[BeppoSapone]

The AEF 27th Division (who were attached to the British 4th Army) were alternately called O'Ryans Roughnecks or O'Ryan's Travelling Circus because they were constantly on the move. 

The 107th Inf. Reg, part of the 27th, were called Silk-Stocking soldiers because many of them came from the richest families in New York.

Another interesting thing about the US 27th Infantry Division. The patch, which you show, is based on the star constellation Orion.

This is a pun on the name of the Divisional Commander - O'Ryan.

Take a look at the patch, and then look here:

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constella...ions/Orion.html

[riflegreen]

The Rifle Brigade , "The Sweeps" , from the early black facings on the uniform or The "Black Button Bastards" , probably Boer War onwards .

Chris

[steve fuller]

Hi Doc

The 1/5th Beds were called 'The Yellow Devils' following a General's comment whilst watching their baptism of fire 15/8/15 and the 7th Beds (not a nickname) had the unofficial motto 'full o beans', speaking for itself I suppose!

[Deleted_Graham McInnes_*]

In Dunbartonshire the Argyll's have long been known as the Ash and Sh*te Hurlers. Billy Connolly is not condsidered original in that neck of the woods.

[rflory]

The KRRC was sometimes referred to as "The Kaiser's Own". Regards. Dick

[rflory]

PAB wrote:

Not too sure on this one, but where the Royal artillery known as the 'dropshorts' due to faulty, badly made shells falling short in our trenches?

In the Artillery Officers' Basic Course at Fort Sill we were taught that the artillery never fires rounds short. but rather that the infantry is sometimes too far forward!! Regards. Dick

[Bill Smy]

The 176th Battalion, CEF, was raised in Niagara, and carried their nickname "Niagara Rangers" on their cap and collar badges

[Borden Battery]

Canadian Machine Gun Corps ... " The Emma Gees"

1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade ... "The Motors"

46th Battalion, CEF ... "The Suicide Battalion"

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry ... "The Patricias" / PPCLI / The Pats"

[Brian Buck]

Wiltshire Regiment (my brother was in it in WW2) - The Moonrakers. I think derived from the legend that Wiltshire folk, seeing the moon's reflection in a pond thought it was gold and tried to rake it out.

[Brian Buck]

Goodness me, promotion on New Years Day! Reminds me of the WOSB I was sent on and failed in 1953 (letting on my age now!). Cheered me up no end after a week of cold and sore throat - should be better tomorrow thanks to the GWF!

[bartbandyrfc]

DrB.

29th Battalion CEF - "Tobin's Tigers" after its founding OC Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Seymour Tobin, DSO.

While not a WWI CEF unit, one of my favourite nicknames for a current Canadian Regiment is applied to one of our French Canadian units the "12e Régiment blindé du Canada" (12th Canadian Tank Regiment), the 12 R-B-Cs.

We call them the 12th Rubber Boot Company. The 12 RBC guys don't like it much.

Great thread.

Jim

[DrB]

Don't forget the Indian Army...the 40th Pathans were "the forty thieves" and the 9th Bhopal Infantry were the "Bopeeps"
DrB