shinglma Posted 2 June , 2003 Share Posted 2 June , 2003 After all the soul searching of the last couple of days perhaps something a little more light-hearted. I want to compile a list of nicknames given to places by the British tommy, eg Ocean Villas for Auchonvillers. As an added dimension I would like to details those places which have had a change of name from French to Flemish, eg Ypres, Ieper, Wipers. Can anyone offer more - Wijtshate? Ploegsteert? thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 2 June , 2003 Share Posted 2 June , 2003 Ploegsteert - Plugstreet Wijtschate (then Wytschaete) - Whitesheet (IIRC) Godewaerdsvelde - God wears Velvet Poperinge (then Poperinghe) - Pops I know there are lots more, but I'm not an expert on this... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 2 June , 2003 Share Posted 2 June , 2003 Shinglma, The following link to a previous thread may prove of interest to you. Tommyisms Alan Abbott was kind enough to send me the photocopied pages of "A Dictionary of Great War Slang" referred to here. If you are interested I can forward a copy on to you. Regards Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinglma Posted 2 June , 2003 Author Share Posted 2 June , 2003 Marc Thanks - I should have realised it would already have been covered! I would be most interested to have a look at the Dictionary. Thanks Mike S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 4 June , 2003 Share Posted 4 June , 2003 I was leafing through "The Wipers Times" last night and came across the following, which have not already been mentioned:- Chocques - Shocks Sailly-la-Bourse - Sally Booze Rue du Bois - Roody Boys Leuze Wood (Bois de Leuze) - Lousy Wood Mouquet Farm - Moo-cow Farm Etaples - Eat Apples Chamblain Chatelain - Charlie Chaplin Hazebrouck - Hazy Brook It also quotes Godewaersvelde at "Gertie wears Velvet" - I think in this case I prefer "God wears Velvet"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 4 June , 2003 Share Posted 4 June , 2003 Please don't take my posting too seriously... As said I'm not an expert on this matter, I only wrote down what I seemed to remember... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger Posted 4 June , 2003 Share Posted 4 June , 2003 Here's one that made me smile from The War The Infantry Knew. " After dark the battalion marched to Fouquereuil, which Atkins pronounces according to a transliteration of his own." Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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