I have been teased with regimental nick-names for some time now while reading about the Great War. I would appreciate the Pals helping me in gathering some nick-names for the regiments from the both the U.K. and the Commonwealth.
Would appreciate only those names used in WWI and not the old stuff that is found in every book about the British army. (i.e. the Tangier Horse) The nicknames can include the PBI, the gunners, the cavalry and other arms and services.
Thanks in advance.
DrB

Newfoundlanders were - according to accounts widely published - known as the 'F..king Five Bobbers' by others in the 29th Division due to their higher rate of pay.
Des

Yorks and Lancs.
'Cat and Cabbage, 'Young and Lovelies' and the 'Rabbit and Geranium'
Regards, Chris.

"Fen Tigers" The Cambridgeshire Regiment,after the Legendary Mythical Cat that roamed the Fens A Beast not to be trifled with.

Men of the 6th{S} Battalion the Northamptonshire Regiment were affectionately known as "The Skinheads" after a bout of Particularly Close Cropped Hairdressing{No doubt to assist in the De~Lousing Programme}Decades before it became associated with Doc Martens,Ska Music & Braces

The Royal Scots known as Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard.

Now to be merged into the KOSB ( Cosbies) 371 years of history gone in 16 minutes.

Aye
Malcolm

The "Lillywhites" (quite a common nickname for several regiments) and the "Triple X's" both for the East Lancs - though historically should only be for the 1st Bn. (several others also)

Dave.

The Lincolns have been known as the Poachers. I cannot determine it being contemporary with WW1. The issue was confused in 1964 when the 2nd Battalion East Anglians were officially named the Poachers.

Roop

The Northamptonshires were the 'Steelbacks', which I believe was something to do with their stoicism under the lash in the days of flogging.

OK...good so far....what about "The Poncers" for the Royal Canadian Regiment? Will Bird makes reference to that one when he wrote "Ghosts Have Warm Hands." Any Canuks want to comment on that one?
From WWII, I can add "The Eddies" for the Royal Edmonton Regt and "The Hasty P's" for the Hastings and Prince Edward Island Regt. Also, the Canadian Governor Generals Horse Guard, initials G.G.H.G. which the other Canadian wags said stood for "Gods Gift to Hungry Girls" or "Good God, How Gorgeous."
DrB

“Hurcombe’s Hungry Half Hundred” - 50 Bn AIF - named after their first CO Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Hurcombe (raised from a cadre from 10 Bn AIF in Egypt in 1916).

"The Fighting Tenth" - 10 Bn AIF - Lance Corporal Philip Robin and Private Arthur Blackburn are believed to have penetrated further inland than any other Australians at ANZAC.

“Joan of Arc” (the Maid of Orleans) battalion - 48 Bn AIF - it was “made of all Leanes” – it was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ray Leane, his brother was the adjutant, and several other relatives were scattered throughout the battalion.

Cheers
Edward

aka "The Blue Puttees".

The 4th Royal Sussex - "The Fine Fourths".

I don't know how widely this name was used, but I have seen it in a newspaper article in a local paper - 'Horsham Gazette' iirc.

Because of the agricultural background of a number of their ranks the Hampshires were referred to as "The Swedebashers".

1st Hampshires - "The Stone Wallers" for Pacaut Wood.
2nd Hampshires - "The Incomparables"

Marc

4TH Battalion of the Yorkshires were the "Yorkshire Gurkhas" after their actions at St Julien in 1915.

Bob.

At least one Canadian regiment also wore blue puttees in WW1.

The 48th Highlanders of Canada were known as "The Glamour Boys" during WW2

http://www.48highlanders.com/

Someone has mentioned the WW2 nickname for the Hastings and Prince Edward Island Regt. A British veteran told me that, because of their nickname, they were known as "The Quick Slash" by English troops.

The East Surreys were known as the Young Buffs.
The MGC as the Suicide Squad.
The ASC - Ally Sopers Cavalry.

Ian

7th Bn,The Northamptonshire Regt,[Peterborough Contingent]was Known as "Whitsed's Own" & "Whitsed's Light Infantry" after the City's Mayor who headed the recruitment Drive

Roop



The Lincolns get the nickname the Poachers from the old Folksong 'The Lincolnshire Poacher' the 2nd Royal Anglians were the Lincolns before the formation of the Anglian Large Regiment
.

Hi

The Canadian Regiment The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, have both an intresting nickname and motto. Their nickname is the Black Devils ( The Regimental badge shows a running black Devil)

The motto is 'Hostie acie nominati' - 'Named by the enemy'

It was at Fish Creek where the regiment received its baptism by fire. The regiment fought that day without food or drink and battled a prairie fire set by the Metis leader Dumont. To them went the brunt of the fighting during the advance on the Metis trenches. It was here that captured prisoners, awed by the cool, steady advance of the sharp shooting Rifles said afterwards, "The red coats we know, but who are those little black devils? "

The 8th Hampshire Regiment known as the 'Isle of Wight Gurkhas' - because of the rifle green uniform and black buttons.

I believe a battalion of the Leinsters were known as the 'Forty Tens'
Allegedly, they were lined up and asked to 'number off' on one occasion.
Everything goes OK until they get to 'Forty-Nine!'
Next guy is 'tired and emotional' (according to military legend) and shouts out : "Forty Ten"

Apparently the sign 40/10 was painted on at least one troopship by Leinsters who happily adopted the nick-name.

Read this somewhere .. forget where!!?
Des

I don't know how far back the name goes, but on several occassions I have heard the Durham Light Infantry being called the 'Dirty Little Infants'.

I believe that their 9th battalion were called the 'Gateshead Gurkhas' during the Great War.

Incidentially if you call a soldier of the KOSB a 'Cosby', you had better duck - they find 'Cosby' insulting.

SEAN

13th australian light horse nicknamed "the devils own" unofficial hat and collarbadges a dancing devil.

coo-ee
patrick

Great post Drb.
Wish I had the knowledge to add!!!!
A lot of fun to read.

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

Cheers
Edward

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.

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

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

...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!!! )

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

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.

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

"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".

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Chris

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!

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.

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

PAB wrote:

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

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

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"

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.

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!

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

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