Guest AdamMcLean Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 I am transcribing my Grandfather's War Diary for Aug-Nov 1914. There are a few words I am having difficulties with. One is a term he often uses meaning "the enemy". He handwriting is difficult in places and the best I can make of this word that makes sense is "Villains" but I am not sure this is correct. It could possibly also read "Allans" which may be a contraction of "Allemands". Does anyone have a suggestion as to what term would be used say in a sentence such as "In the afternoon one of our privates was fired on by [Villains] in the town" Thanks for any assistance, Adam McLean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Hello Adam The word you see as "villains" could be Uhlans (German cavalry) Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Welcome to the Forum Adam. Do you know where your Grandfather was serving? My thought is that the word could be Allemande however that would be very unusual for a native English speaker. (I am assuming he was not French). Max/Andy's idea 'Uhlan' makes more sense for the Fall of 1914 since that was a war of movement and the German Cavalry was more of a possible threat than later in the war. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdamMcLean Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Thank you so much. "Uhlan" makes entire sense in the context. I do hope you will not mind if I ask some further questions later, especially about some French village names which are difficult to make out. My Grandfather was a stretcher bearer in the 17th Infantry Brigade, and appears to have been in the Marne, Aisne and later moved to Flanders to Armentieres. Thanks again. Adam McLean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdamMcLean Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Another term I am having a problem with is "Black Marias". This term is used in the context of shelling. My grandfather refers to "Coal boxes", which I know refers to a type of shell. Was the term "Black Maria" also used to describe a kind of munition ? Thank you, Adam McLean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 8 December , 2004 Admin Share Posted 8 December , 2004 Hi Adam Coal Boxes, Black Marais, Jack Johnsons are all terms used to describe shells which burst giving out black smoke in my understanding. Jack Johnson was a negro boxer of the time Cheers, Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 8 December , 2004 Share Posted 8 December , 2004 A Black Maria was a police vehicle, generally used for taking felons to prison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdamMcLean Posted 9 December , 2004 Share Posted 9 December , 2004 For anyone inetrested I have posted a couple of extracts one with the correct "Uhlan" reading onto the Unit War Diaries section of this forum. The Great War Forum -> Documents, photos, meetings -> Document repository -> Unit War Diaries Adam McLean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat McLachlan Posted 9 December , 2004 Share Posted 9 December , 2004 Adam, You mentioned the British using a slang term for Germans that was a corruption of 'Allemand'. If I recall, this word was 'alleyman', so it doesn't seem to fit in the context of your Grandfather's diary. 'Uhlan' seems more likely, though I don't know it was commonly used by the fighting men. Cheers, Mat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 10 December , 2004 Share Posted 10 December , 2004 Jack Johnson was a negro boxer of the time Not just a "negro boxer". He was the Heavyweight World Champion!!!! (The first (of many) black champions?) Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 10 December , 2004 Share Posted 10 December , 2004 There are some wonderful silent movies of Jack Johnson in some of his title bouts. They crop up on sports history channels from time-to-time. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 10 December , 2004 Share Posted 10 December , 2004 In the next war it may be called a Danny Williams! Though at 19 stone, possibly not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 10 December , 2004 Share Posted 10 December , 2004 Hi It could be he is shortening the old expression, taken from melodrama "villian of the piece" i.e. the "bad guy", or possibly even changing the meaning to "Villian of the peace" or "he who disrupts The Peace" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 11 December , 2004 Share Posted 11 December , 2004 From memory the term "Allemands" was indeed used by the Tommies. I have a recollection of some battlefield poetry/doggerel from I believe late 1914 which ends "... then let them f..ing Allemands look out". I think it's quoted in "The Vanished Army"... anyone got it handy ? Rod PS - that was a long time ago. We're all good friends now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientguide Posted 11 December , 2004 Share Posted 11 December , 2004 ROD -- DONT MENTION THE WAR!! i think we got away with it !! Song of the time "I want to go home" "..take me over the sea, where the Alleyman cant get at me Oh my,I dont want to die I just want to go home" The Tommies anglicised and wrote or pronounced phonetically most French and Belgian phrases and place names they came across. Around Ypres (Wipers) were the villages of Ploegstert PLUGSTREET Whytschate WHITESHEET etc SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 11 December , 2004 Share Posted 11 December , 2004 Here is a biographical article on Johnson; http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwrench1.htm Interesting to see that he was still boxing exhibitions in 1945 when he was 67 years old. Also interesting to note that this is off a site about inventors. I would imagine that his series of wartime bouts in Paris would have made him something of a talking point in the trenches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 11 December , 2004 Share Posted 11 December , 2004 And here`s the gent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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