I have a 1918 Christmas postcard from the Salonica Army. The postcard shows a cartoon like British soldier holding out his hands with what looks like a small Turk and a small Bulgarian. The Title says "Finish Johnny!". Was Johnny some slang term for a nationality? Anyone know?
Glen

Johnny Turk

Of course. problem Solved
Thanks
Glen

Johnny was a generic term used by the Greeks for the British, mostly by the Greek labourers who were engaged on such tasks as road building. They picked it up from the Britsih soldiers, many of whom acted as foremen overseeing their work. The British knew little or no Greek, and simply used odd words, such as 'Johnny' for him, you etc, e.g. "Oi Johnny!!"

At the end of the days work the overseer, or the Greeks as they downed tools, would announce "Finish, Johnny"; and this common phrase was incorporated into the Christmas 1918 greetings card indicating the job was finally done.

Johnny was the nickname for the Bulgars as well, so postcard would have linked both of them together

cheers Martin B

Hello GlenBanna,

Is there any way of seeing this curious postcard form you?

Shahane

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40078915@N07/

Shahane

Postcard is in a frame. So you can only see the front
Hope this works. My photograph was too big to upload so I opened an account with Flickr.
Glen

Thanks for doing that Glen, it is wonderfully weird. I love the propaganda. Does it look like a hand drawn one off or is it a print?

Shahane

They were produced by the 8th Field Survey Company, Royal Engineers. Ours has some kind of serial number - No.529.

The Christmas version appears quite frequently. There was a New Year edition too, which is much less common.

I have another "A happy christmas from the Balkans" It shows a 'Tommy' mounted on a mule, waving his cap. it is signed G D Armour. Produced by Survey Coy RE BSF No 304
Cheers, Jim K

Col Armour was a cartoonist for Punch and also illustrated Masefield's Reynard the Fox. He commanded a remount unit in Salonika, and also appeared in the Allied Concert Party as a lightning artist.

Kate
Thanks for the information. Fascinating stuff. As a child of the fifties this character reminded me of the mischevious one on the front cover of "Mad". Reading some of some of the WW1 writing such as the "Wipers Times" makes you realise that satire didnt start with "Monty Python
Glen

I'd love to see more war time material such as this, can people recommend sources for other papers such as the Wipers Times? If anyone can recommend sources for posters, postcards, or any other material in circulation would be much appreciated.

The mindset of people of those times is intriguing.

Cheers,
Shahane

Shahane
Take a look at this site

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...sa%3DX%26um%3D1

Glen

That's great Glen. I wonder if the public were honed into the satire at the time, now that we can look back it seems very bold.

I wonder if there were any plays, radio shows, cinema, or other forms of arts which showed the public feelings at the time. Or is this opening a new topic?