Wars and Conflicts聽 permalink
Niknames
This discussion has been closed.
-
Message 1.聽
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Saturday, 22nd January 2011
I read the other day that the army called the SA80 during the first Gulf War the Civil Servant. Didn't work, couldn't be fired. Can you think of any other names given to other weapons. I know the Germans called the Sherman the tommy Burner and we called it the Ronson as it lit first time every time. Any others?
-
Message 2
Posted by Vizzer aka U_numbers (U2011621) on Sunday, 23rd January 2011
The Krupp L/12 412mm howitzer from the First World War was famously nicknamed 'Dicke Bertha' (Big Bertha) by both German and Allied troops. Bertha was the name of the daughter of Friedrich Alfred Krupp who headed the company between 1887-1902.
-
Message 3
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Monday, 24th January 2011
One of the most famous must surely be 'Brown Bess', the nickname given by the British Army to various patterns of flintlock musket from c.1720-c.1850.
-
Message 4
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Monday, 24th January 2011
Or even bundook which has been name given to British rifles forever.
-
Message 5
Posted by White Camry (U2321601) on Monday, 24th January 2011
Reportedly, the early M-16s in Vietnam were nicknamed "Jinny Jammers" because of their unfortunate habit during a fire-fight. Not much fun having to clean your rifle when the other fellow's worked just fine even when dirty.
-
Message 6
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Monday, 24th January 2011
The 9.2" British howitzer was known more or less universally as "Mother" in WWI. Torpedos were known from the introduction of locomotive torpedos as "tinfish" or "just "fish" in British parlance, and as "eels" in German service, plus, of course, "Stalin organs", "Moaning Minnies", "Stringbags", "Shagbats", "Wimpeys" etc. The basic bundook in different marks was known as "Emily" (MLE - magazine Lee-Enfield) and "Smellie" (SMLE - Short Magazine Lee-Enfield), so at least in Britain it seems a fairly widespread practice.
-
Message 7
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Monday, 24th January 2011
Sweetlips
ABV 4.6% 鈥 available in February and September.
The drink: A pale, refreshing ale brewed using the finest Maris Otter Pale malt complemented by American Cluster hops which give a long dry finish.
The name: The beer was named after a Roundhead cannon captured by the Royalists at the North Muskham Bridge. The cannon being particularly small was a favourite of the Roundheads and had been affectionately named after a certain lady of the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...
As with soldiers of other times Civil War gunners serving a major war machine often gave their weapons individual names. At least two were called 鈥漅oaring Meg鈥, and two huge demi-cannon were both known as 鈥漈he Queen's Pocket Pistol鈥, whilst other names included 鈥滸og鈥, 鈥滿agog鈥, 鈥漇weet Lips鈥 (named after a renowned whore), and less inspiringly, 鈥滽ill-Cow鈥.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vehicles, particularly military aircraft, which have a reputation for high rates of fatal accidents, are sometimes nicknamed Widow maker:
B-26 Marauder, medium bomber
F-104 Starfighter, interceptor aircraft
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, V/STOL ground-attack aircraft
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Soviet PPSh-41 Submachine Gun
The Brown Bess was the issued arm for the British forces, and, since the colonists themselves were required by British law to be armed, it was also often the arm of the American rebels. Like the Kentucky Rifle, it was a muzzle loading flintlock, but there the similarity ended.
In use for nearly one hundred years, the Brown Bess was a smoothbore musket of .75 caliber. The origin of the name 鈥楤rown Bess鈥 is lost to history. The proper name was the Land Musket, and there were several variations, like the Long Pattern musket, Short Pattern Musket, India Pattern Musket, and Land Pattern Cavalry Carbine. The Brown Bess did not have any sights. It was aimed by sighting along the top of the barrel.
Prior to the revolutionary war and the Kentucky Rifle, the commanding officers usually remained at the rear and well out of range, but the guerrilla colonist tactics caused the British officers to grudgingly nickname the Kentucky Rifle the 鈥榦fficer's widow maker鈥. Killing shots at ranges up to three hundred yards were not uncommon, ranges unheard of using a smoothbore musket like the Brown Bess.
Most male citizens of the American Colonies were required by law to own arms and ammunition for militia duty. The Long Land Pattern was a common firearm in use by both sides in the American Revolutionary War. -
Message 8
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
"Prior to the revolutionary war and the Kentucky Rifle, the commanding officers usually remained at the rear and well out of range"
Really? -
Message 9
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
There's a great deal of 'history' in that rifle article that's dubious at best.
-
Message 10
Posted by bandick (U14360315) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
Hi Arty and AN鈥 I鈥檓 not disputing your comments鈥 I would be interested if you could expand on them鈥 but it was to the OP I addressed this reply, as what were weapons nicknamedHi Arty and AN鈥 I鈥檓 not disputing your comments鈥 I would be interested if you could expand on them鈥 but it was to the OP I addressed this reply, as what were weapons nicknamed鈥 no offence.鈥 no offence. -
Message 11
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
The official title for the Brown Bess was "Tower Musket". Long and Short Land Patterns, and the parallel Long and Short Sea Service were successive marks - like the Emily and Smelly - but by the time of the Napoleonic Wars the commonest version was the "India Pattern"
-
Message 12
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
From the article:
Since the Brown Bess was a smooth bore weapon, accuracy beyond fifty yards was abysmal at best, so the military tactic employed was a timed fusillade, in which the troops lined up in two long rows, the front row kneeling to fire and the second row firing over their heads. On command, both rows fired, laying down a deadly curtain of lead balls weighing a full ounce that inflicted deadly wounds on the other side. Both hits and misses were matters of sheer luck.聽
Musket tactics by the time of the War of Independence relied on a combination of different types of volley fire with individual skirmishers. Marksmen were certainly able to target and kill specific individuals with the musket.
Like all major inventions, the Kentucky rifle (also called the Pennsylvania Rifle) was developed to meet a need. The hunters and woodsmen in the New World found the Brown Bess inadequate in numerous ways. It was far too heavy to carry long distances, its large bore required large amounts of precious lead and gunpowder, and it was woefully inaccurate beyond fifty yards. In response, the early American gunsmiths developed a virtual work of art.聽
The Kentucky (or Pennsylvania, or American Long) Rifle was not developed as an alternative to the Brown Bess, but was a descendant of German rifles, probably developed by German settlers. Due to their length they are not significantly lighter than the Brown Bess. The smaller calibre was nothing new, but was common to hunting weapons and had been for centuries.
But the real genius was the combination of rifling and a cloth patch.聽
Using cloth patches to create a better fit for the bullet certainly did not originate with the Kentucky Rifle, but was again probably a German invention of the first half of the 16th century.
Prior to the revolutionary war and the Kentucky Rifle, the commanding officers usually remained at the rear and well out of range 聽
Very senior officers, such as Generals, may well have spent much of the time towards the rear but that was because they needed to keep a good overview of the battle, but that certainly didn't mean they kept well out of danger, as Major General Wolfe could attest! Nothing changed as a result of the War of Independence. Even amongst the so called 'Donkeys' leading the British and Imperial troops of the First World War, 78 of the rank of Brigadier or above were killed in action.
More junior officers were generally expected to lead from the front. Amongst Light and Grenadier troops (and sometimes other types) junior officers commonly used the Brown Bess (either the musket or, if they could get hold of it, the lighter fusil).
As a result, many skirmishes between the American rebels and the British consisted of the British soldier marching fully exposed in a disciplined straight line wearing their red uniforms while buckskin clad Americans shot at them from behind boulders and trees聽
This is part of what one historian has termed 'the American creation myth'. In truth rebel forces increasingly strove to adopt European military weapons, uniforms and tactics. Relatively few were actually armed with the rifle, mostly in the South. Meanwhile the British adapted to their environment surprisingly rapidly, Whilst the majority continued to wear red (not really important, given the close range most actions were fought) the design of the uniform was rapidly adapted (albeit often not according to regulation) and troops were frequently fighting using skirmishing tactics. Although the Brown Bess remained the primary infantry weapon virtually every regiment had a contingent of riflemen, various patterns of rifle were introduced (such as the 1776 Pattern Infantry Rifle and highly advanced breech-loading Ferguson Rifle) which were equal and sometimes superior to the American weapon, and some specialist rifle units were formed. In edition, extensive use was made of Loyalist American troops, who included some armed with the Kentucky Rifle, and German riflemen, including the Hesse-Kassel Rifle Corps, one of the finest regiments on either side in the War.
The result was the ultimate demise of the Brown Bess musket and the worldwide adoption of the American Kentucky Rifle.聽
Total rubbish. Most places continued to produce rifles according to national preferences and characteristics. For example, Britain's famous Baker Rifle, used during the Napoleonic Wars, was strongly influenced by the highly successful short-barrelled German 'j盲ger' rifles of the period (as used by German riflemen in the War of Independence!) Even the US Army never adopted the Kentucky Rifle as a standard issue firearm - when they finally abandoned the smoothbore musket in the mid-19th century they replaced it with a rifled musket (the Springfield 1855 and its descendants), not the Kentucky. -
Message 13
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011
indeed even well into the American Civil War both sides were using the smooth bore musket and the tactics of firing by volley. I watched gods and Generals the other day and could not unstand the tatic of advancing across the battlefield then stopping short of the enemy hiding behind a stone wall, and firing by volley, instead of just charging the last hundred yards or so.
-
Message 14
Posted by White Camry (U2321601) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
Grumpyfred:
I watched gods and Generals the other day and could not unstand the tatic of advancing across the battlefield then stopping short of the enemy hiding behind a stone wall, and firing by volley, instead of just charging the last hundred yards or so. 聽
I haven't seen that movie nor have I read up on the campaign. That much said, unless such a stop-short-of-the enemy incident was written down in the history books, it seems to me to be a case of cinematic license-taking. -
Message 15
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
If it was depicting the battle of Fredericksburg (1862), that is what happened. The Union advance stalled in the face of murderous fire from Confederate troops firing down from a stone wall. Attempts to suppress enemy by their own fire failed and the attack, in fact six successive ones ended in bloody failure.
Perhaps the film simply failed to depict that convincingly. -
Message 16
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
Anyone who expects a film to give an accurate account of a battle (if such a thing is possible) or the tactics employed in it is doomed to disappointment - or worse, to carry away an entirely false view of the course of events.
Entertainment.
History.
Ne'er (in Hollywood at least) the twain shall meet. -
Message 17
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
I would agree in most films, but the battle scenes also match the two books I have on the American Civil war, and in both films (Gettysburg followed it) with the exception of the main actors, all the cast were re-enactment groups who would in most cases never allow their names to be put to a falsehood. The film is a lttle long, but worth watching. Gettysburg awaits me at a later date.
-
Message 18
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
How long was the battle?
How long was the film?
Abbreviation always distorts. -
Message 19
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
I think the film was as long as the whole war LOL. Around four hours.
GF -
Message 20
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
'all the cast were re-enactment groups who would in most cases never allow their names to be put to a falsehood. "
Except that, if you dip your toe into re-enactor forums. it would seem they find it hard to agree on many truth hoods...
Back to the OP. What about the 'burp gun'. Didn't sound like any burp I've ever heard. And while I'm about it, what was all the talk about Spandaus sounding " like ripping canvas"- not that I have heard a great deal of canvas ripping but... -
Message 21
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
Then there was the Greese gun. The Chicago Piano The Yellowboy. Oh wasn't there a Cavalry Regiment they called the Cherry Pickers?
-
Message 22
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
'all the cast were re-enactment groups who would in most cases never allow their names to be put to a falsehood. "
PS Have you _seen_ "The Patriot"? -
Message 23
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
Can't say about nicknames for weapons, Grumpy, as - after basic training in the RAF with a Lee-Enfield .303, a bayonet and a Bren gun, nearly 60 years ago - I'm happy and very grateful to be able to say that I never had any close contact with weapons again.
We had a nickname for the Army though: "Pongoes" - dunno why, and it always seemed a bit unfair (some of my best friends... etc) - or "Brown Jobs". Blokes in the RAF Regiment were always known as "Rock-Apes" and RAF police were "Snowdrops" - because of their white cap-covers.
Long before I was called up I'd heard the RAF called "The Brylcreem Boys" but I think this had more-or-less died out by 1952. Except for our squarebashing sergeant who called us "Bryle creams" as a sarcastic insult. Again I wonder where that term came from. Hair worn longer than an Army-style haircut, well greased, and a lot of it plastered back and visible at the side of a snazzily tilted forage-cap?
If so, it didn't apply to my lot; the forage-caps disappeared (gradually) after 1951 and we were issued with berets.
Sorry for this digression - I got carried away. -
Message 24
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
A detachment of 11th Light Dragoons serving in Spain against the French were alleged to have been caught napping by the enemy while either snacking or perhaps resting in an orchard. This story may have been exaggerated in later years to make comic capital of the tight, bright, crimson pantaloons that were issued to the Troopers in 1840 to mark their being re-titled 11th Prince Albert's Own Hussars after escorting the Prince Consort to-be from Dover to London on his way to marry Queen Victoria.
Lord Cardigan, Colonel of the 11th, apparently referred to his men as his Cherry Bums, which was bawdlerised in those Victorian times as 'Cherubims'.
Ever the source of controversy, the 11th allegedly allowed two artillery pieces to be captured during the disastrous campaing in Flanders 1794-95. The 'Black Watch', allegedly, recaptured the guns and were awarded their celebrated 'Red Hackle'. There is little evidence that any of this happened.
On surer ground, historically, the Cherry Pickers followed Lord Cardigan, by then commander of the Light Brigade, into the 'Valley of Death' at Balaklava in 1854 -
Message 25
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
And the RAF Regiment were known as the Rockapes. Sadly these days in Afghanistan they are called by the Army The Short Range Desert Group.
-
Message 26
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
I read they claim to be 'Special Forces,' hence the jibe
-
Message 27
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
"Brylcreem boys" morphed into "Crabfats" or just "Crabs" as far as the Navy were concerned - "crabfat" being originally the darkish grey wartime paint colour
-
Message 28
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
" "Crabs" as far as the Navy were concerned" and the Army. An epithet that is hardly able to contain a loathing that borders on the visceral in some quarters.
A little worrying, really.
'Crabfat' though, that is news to me on all levels. Really? Did someone in an office with a colour chart actually come up with that? It indicates a familiarity with crustaceans that I don't like to dwell on.
And why is the spell check underlining 'colour'? -
Message 29
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
"Crabfat" wasn't the official name, just one of the many "Jackspeak" terms (one could, indeed several people have, come up with a whole dictionary of such lower-deck slang).
Re Colour - is your spellcheck set to US rather than proper English? What does it make of "color"? -
Message 30
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011
So was 'crab fat' grey used on ships rather than parts of planes?
(It's underlining 'grey', so you may have a point. This machine has a mind of its own...) -
Message 31
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Thursday, 27th January 2011
Hadn't heard of Crabs or Crabfats before, and can't recall any nickname we had in the Airforce for Navy blokes.
Was on an joint-services camp once, run by the Army. In the winter the Navy 'Coders' removed the white covers from their peaked caps. So on parade the RSM referred to them as "taxi-drivers".
I don't think they liked that, but it seemed quite funny to the rest of us. -
Message 32
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Thursday, 27th January 2011
When being polite, NOs refer to the RAF as "Light Blue Airlines". Gets a bit confused when they start speaking of pilots, though. On an RN ship, the Pilot is the Navigating Officer, as opposed to the Sky Pilot, who is, of course, the Chaplain. RMs are "Jollies" or "Bootnecks" of course.
Re crabfat grey - it was the colour used for ships in wartime after Victoria's time, including torpedo boats and TBDs from late in WWI, although the late Peter Scott, along with the OR boffins, got most smaller ships into blue/white/green disruptive colouring during the Battle of the Atlantic, and "dazzle" stripes were often used. -
Message 33
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Thursday, 27th January 2011
Thanks Ur-Lugal.
Years ago I was in a brass band and one of the marches we played was called "H.M.Jollies" - which seemed an odd title. The penny has now dropped.
And I can just remember seeing a destroyer(?) in the Mersey at Liverpool about 1940, painted with dazzle stripes. Jeez, I feel old.
"Crabfat" isn't in my (usually good) dictionary. Nor 'Jollies' either; I've pencilled them in. -
Message 34
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Thursday, 27th January 2011
Jak:
The Destroyer was most likely in one of the Western Approaches schemes (Liverpool being, of course, the place where the Battle of the Atlantic was controlled from), less likely one of the "Admiralty Disruptive" schemes. -
Message 35
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Thursday, 27th January 2011
Ur-Lugal:
The date was probably late May 1940. I've just looked it up because we saw the "Arandora Star" tied up at the Liverpool quayside on the same day. It was sunk a few days later.
It was all-over grey of course, but the Blue Star line's badge, a star in a disc, was visible on each funnel in low relief. Some daft things stick in the brain. -
Message 36
Posted by giraffe47 (U4048491) on Friday, 28th January 2011
Jak (msg 23)
Pongo is the Latin name for the Orangutan species - eg pongo pymaeus, etc.
This may help to explain the RAF nickname for the Army.
You get a more educated class of insult in the RAF, I expect!
Although it was also used by the Navy for the dear lads in khaki, as far as I am aware. -
Message 37
Posted by Mr Pedant (U2464726) on Friday, 28th January 2011
Humpty Dumpty is thought to be the nickname of a royalist cannon used in their defense of Colchester.
It was sat on the city wall until it 鈥渉ad a great fall鈥 -
Message 38
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Friday, 28th January 2011
The Royal Navy were known by the Merchant Navy as the Grey Funnel line. The reason the RAF Regiment are no known as the Short Range Desert Group seems to be the fact that they never go outside of the wire of Camp Bastion.
-
Message 39
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Friday, 28th January 2011
RN ratings were (are?) known inside the service as "Jack". Merchant seaman were/are known as "Johns" to the Andrew.
-
Message 40
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Friday, 28th January 2011
Tommies, Jocks, Taffs & Micks
-
Message 41
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Friday, 28th January 2011
The 3" main armament of some American built British escort vesells in WWII were referred to as the Elephant Gun.
-
Message 42
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Friday, 28th January 2011
"The Andrew" now, there's a very strange one.
It isn't in my dictionary either, but I expect there's some amazingly lengthy tradition behind it. Any ideas? -
Message 43
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Friday, 28th January 2011
Reputedly from Lt. Andrew Miller (some sources say Millar), an officer in the Imprest Service in C18th, who claimed he had manned the Navy.
-
Message 44
Posted by Jak (U1158529) on Friday, 28th January 2011
Thanks again, Ur-Lugal.
I had to read you post again, carefully. With my specs and the typeface on the board I thought he claimed he had married the Navy. The mind boggles. -
Message 45
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Friday, 28th January 2011
There was one NN I had simply forgotten, one known to every boy who ever played cowboys and indians. The Colt Model P, otherwise known as the Peacemaker.
-
Message 46
Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Saturday, 29th January 2011
The other possibility foe "The Andrew" is from St Andrew, the patron saint of sailors.
In defence of the RAF Regiment, they do not claim to be Special Forces. Their claim is that their selection criteria are tough as those for the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Marines. This is, in fact, true. There are, it should be noted, forty Regiment personnel in the SF Support Regiment, which when it was set up only consisted of contingents from the Paras, RM and the RAF Regiment (the Army has widened its eligibility criteria since).
As neither the Paras or the Royals can bear the suggestion that anyone is their equal (they say awfully awfully rude things about each other, too), this tends to attract abuse.
A bit of gentle banter is probably good for the soul, but I've noticed that the people who tend to be rudest about other units or services tend not to be the most impressive representative of their own.
"Brylcream Boys" comes from a 1939/40 Brylcream advertisment, which showed an RAF type in forage cap (side hat). The Army was quick to notice that companies very rarely used ordinary soldiers in advertising.
The original Short Range Desert Group was, of course, the Staff of HQ Middle East in Cairo., who never went further up into the Blue than the terrace of Shepheard's Hotel. (GF, incidentally, you should know better, the RAF Regiment protect the base by patrolling at some distance outside, as rockets and mortars have considerable range. They have sustained a number of fatalities in the process).
When I was younger there was a DPM peaked cap for field wear, which was christened the DILAC cap - "Don't I Look A ...complete idiot". The same phrase was used about the forage cap, which is an optional item of uniform, worn mainly by officers, thus attracting other rank contempt. The forage cap is, of course, also known as chipbag.
GF originally asked about nicknames for kit. How about the Humber Pig, after the shape of its front end, a nickname also applied to its successor the Saracen for similar reasons.
LW -
Message 47
Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Saturday, 29th January 2011
LW if you read my remarks. they say that it is suggested that they never go outside of the wire. The remarks come from soldiers etc who see them still as 9 to 5 Monday to friday types.
GF -
Message 48
Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Saturday, 29th January 2011
GF
At post 38 you state it as a fact, not a suggestion. I didn't think you actually meant it, but it is what you posted, hence my comment.
Someone mentioned Chicago piano, which was a Press nickname for the Thompson SMG. The Royal Navy adopted it as slang for the 0.5" multiple pom-pom AA mount.
Gunners seem to have an emotional attachment for their pieces, recognised from early on. Guns were frequently referred to as daughters - hence "Kissing the Gunner's daughter" being a euphemism for being tied to a gun for punishment.
The Russians give their artillery the names of flowers, which hardly seems appropriate. The wartime multiple rocket launcher that the Western Press called the "Stalin Organ" was (and is) nicknamed Katyuskha, which is an affectionate diminutive broadly translating as "Katie".
One that amuses me is the ill-fated US Army Sergeant York 40mm SPAAG, which achieved less than 40% target engagement in trials. Briefly in service with a National Guard unit, it was christened the Ancient Mariner because it "stoppeth one in three".
LW -
Message 49
Posted by arty macclench (U14332487) on Sunday, 30th January 2011
I have worse epithets for the 'Field Service' or Side Cap-
to do with 'absolute idiots' as well as 'complete idiots'....
And wasn't the Thompson also called the 'Chicago Typewriter'? -
Message 50
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Sunday, 30th January 2011
The term "Chicago Piano" was also applied to the quad .5" mgs used aboard RN destroyers between the wars, and still installed in the older ones during WWII - see Mallalieu's "Very Ordinary Seaman" for an example, and the term "pom-pom" was itself an onomatopoeic nickname from the sound of the Maxim 1pdr used in and from the Boer War, and the Krupp guns that the Boers used were nicknamed "Long Toms"
Incidentally, the OP mentioned "Big Bertha". Many people seem to have confused Big Bertha with the Paris Gun - real nickname "Long Max", which was hidden, upended and sheathed with brick to resemble a chimney, at Krupp's Essen works post WWI.
Re "insulting" nicknames such as "Ally Sloper's Cavalry" for the ASC, "Donkey wallopers" for the Household Cavalry, or Rob All My Comrades for the RAMC, these all at least semi-joking rather than real terms of abuse - even "cr@p hats" for anyone not of the Airborne (and amongst the Marines, anyone neither RM nor Airborne) is tongue in cheek - "The Feet" as they were known pre-WWI - are equipped and trained to do a different job from Special Forces, Paras, Commandos etc.
About this Board
The History message boards are now closed. They remain visible as a matter of record but the opportunity to add new comments or open new threads is no longer available. Thank you all for your valued contributions over many years.
or 聽to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
The message board is closed for posting.
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Search this Board
麻豆约拍 iD
麻豆约拍 navigation
麻豆约拍 links
麻豆约拍 漏 2014 The 麻豆约拍 is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.