PAB Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Not quite a nickname but my old grandad always said that "BUFFS" stood for "Buried Under Fifty Foot of Sh...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 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!!! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 The initials of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars (QOOH) were similarly applied in jest as 'Queer Objects On Horseback'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawbridge Posted 22 December , 2004 Share Posted 22 December , 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest C729LEE Posted 22 December , 2004 Share Posted 22 December , 2004 Hey, you just answered my question on units just as I posted, SPOOKY! Lee in Lincs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 22 December , 2004 Share Posted 22 December , 2004 "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". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 23 December , 2004 Share Posted 23 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 23 December , 2004 Share Posted 23 December , 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionboxer Posted 23 December , 2004 Share Posted 23 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrB Posted 23 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdajd Posted 23 December , 2004 Share Posted 23 December , 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 29 December , 2004 Share Posted 29 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen Posted 29 December , 2004 Share Posted 29 December , 2004 The Rifle Brigade , "The Sweeps" , from the early black facings on the uniform or The "Black Button ********" , probably Boer War onwards . Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 29 December , 2004 Share Posted 29 December , 2004 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Graham McInnes Posted 31 December , 2004 Share Posted 31 December , 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 31 December , 2004 Share Posted 31 December , 2004 The KRRC was sometimes referred to as "The Kaiser's Own". Regards. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 31 December , 2004 Share Posted 31 December , 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Smy Posted 1 January , 2005 Share Posted 1 January , 2005 The 176th Battalion, CEF, was raised in Niagara, and carried their nickname "Niagara Rangers" on their cap and collar badges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borden Battery Posted 1 January , 2005 Share Posted 1 January , 2005 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" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Buck Posted 1 January , 2005 Share Posted 1 January , 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Buck Posted 1 January , 2005 Share Posted 1 January , 2005 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbandyrfc Posted 1 January , 2005 Share Posted 1 January , 2005 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrB Posted 2 January , 2005 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2005 Don't forget the Indian Army...the 40th Pathans were "the forty thieves" and the 9th Bhopal Infantry were the "Bopeeps" DrB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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