Officers with long or unusual names

[MACRAE]

Call em what ye like they still Rupert's to us privates.

Dan

[Kutenay]

What exactly does the word "poncy" mean to you Brits? One seldom hears this term here in Canada, but, a guy I know would sometimes use it and I never understood what he meant.

I always took this to be an insult, kinda like calling someone a "fag", which means homosexual here and is an insult that requires a forceful response.

[Terry_Reeves]

Kutenay

It is an insult, and sadly it's an insulting thread.

TR

[Guest KevinEndon]

Then why is it in Classic Threads, surely a mod would have moved it here so not all think its insulting and can see a little humour in someones name, that is all it is a little humour. Its a bit like a boy named Soo, maybe they were given these names to toughen them up. A bit like the German soldiers grave I photographed whose name was Otto Bahn, a name that give you a little chuckle. Ok I agree Poncy is not the word to use but maybe had it been called, strange and different officers names would have been more suited.

Kevin

[Dragon]

Kutenay, 'poncy' means pretentious, stagy, meant to impress, affected. It's an insult, as others have said. It's a sneering expression.

Totally agree with Per Ardua, Terry and Willy. It's puerile. You've only heard of these men because they had the misfortune to be caught up in a dreadful event and possibly died because of it. If that's funny, then I don't share the humour.

Gwyn

[Guest KevinEndon]

Everyone died a hero I think we all agree on that, not all men could be called Tommy Atkins or John Smith. Poncy in this case is more to mean la de da ( as in It Aint Half Hot Mum) names rather than gay or other deflamitory names, I hope so anyway.

Kevin

[MACRAE]

Everyone died a hero I think we all agree on that, not all men could be called Tommy Atkins or John Smith. Poncy in this case is more to mean la de da ( as in It Aint Half Hot Mum) names rather than gay or other deflamitory names, I hope so anyway.

Kevin

Yes I agree Kevin its more like a case of la de da or like being sent to Coventry.

Dan

[Kutenay]

O.K., NOW I understand and I always wondered what that term really meant.

[David B]

Well I dont know about poncy but the 1st Lieutenant of my first ship was named Dacre Henry Deudrath Smythe.

Then again his father was a Maj General and a VC winner so I suppose he got over it somewhat.

david

[Richard Jones]

Morning All,

I have thoroughly enjoyed most of this thread. With hindsight maybe a better title would have been "Posh" officer names. I did look "Poncy" up in the Oxford English Dictionary but it was not there ! I am sure the thread was not meant to be an insult to anyone and I never took it as such.

For a posh officer name what about Major General Waldron ? I can hear you saying it "What's posh about Waldron" ? Well in a twist to the main theme of the thread, Major General Waldron was not an officer either ! He was Private Waldron 10991 in the Worcestershire Regiment. He had some bottle joining with that name in 1908. I can see the his Sergeant and others having some fun with him at Parade.

Regards Mike Jones

[ellasian]

I don't feel I should comment on this thread with my surname <-----

But, my daughter has mentioned keeping our surname on marriage and just adding her husbands name to hers and her offspring !!!!

Mmmmm Hows about something like Major Reupert Burtonshaw-Gunn or Lt Col Marcus De Breos-Burtonshaw?

I shudder at the thought

MB

[museumtom]

I apologise if have made anyone feel uneasy with the P word. It was certainly not intended. So that peace can again reign on the forum I have renamed the thread Officers with long or unusual names.

I hope this is acceptable.

Kind regards.

Tom.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Tollemache Tollemache Frandati Filius Tollemache Tollemache De Orellana Plantagent from ODGW.

An officer from Leicestershire Regt who was awarded the LSDO. He died on the 20/02/1917. Is this the longest name or are there any with more letters than 74 letters.

K

[equusv]

A quick look through any version of Officers died in the great war shows the most incredible 'strange and funny' officers first names. Has that type of naming gone to the dogs or are there still people out there naming their male offspring like they did in the old days?.

Did that type of naming die out after ww1?

Tom.

I don't know but one of my personal favorites is Major-General Sir Edward Whipple Bancroft Morrison, a 5'6" little firecracker, Canadian artillery commander and best friend of Lt.Colonel John McCrae.

Bonfire

[mattgibbs]

My favourite [so far] titled chaplain's name is

(Sir) Montagu Henry Proctor-Beauchamp Bart.

Rather sadly for him, he suceeded to the title on the death of his brother who was KIA in France, equally sadly was that he had a son-in-law, whom one would assume the title would go to, but unfortunately he was also KIA on the same day, in the same action.

Not seen many chaplain's who were Baronets.

[Moriaty]

I wonder whether the Rev Sir Montague Proctor-Beauchamp Bt is related to Lieutenant Colonel Sir Horace Proctor-Beauchamp Bt of the 5th Norfolks, the Sandringham Lost Battalion, who "disappeared" in Gallipoli on 12 August 1915? Sir Horace was the 6th Baronet.

[mattgibbs]

I believe you are correct, in Burkes Peerage he is the 4th Son of Sir Thomas William Brograve Proctor-Beauchamp, 4th Baronet and succeeded to the title on the death of his brother Horace. Burkes 2003 edition states that Horace George Proctor-Beauchamp was KIA at Sulva Bay on 12th August 1915, and Montagu, the youmger brother suceeded to the title on that day.

I was wrong about the son-in-law I mentioned first, even more tragic for Sir Montagu, it was his own son Montagu Barclay Granville Proctor-Beauchamp who was killed with his brother.

I had no idea about the Sandringham connection. Montagu became a missionary with the China Inland Mission to the Qing Dynasty in 1885, he came back to the UK due to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 and went back in 1902, but returned in 1911 and became a Chaplain in the AChD. He returned to China in 1935 and died in 1939.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Here are a couple of officers associated with my home town:-

Second Lieutenant Richard Shirburne Weld-Blundell

Captain Wilfred Stanislaus Stapleton-Bretherton

[Ghazala]

Inky Bill.... Major-General Edward Charles Ingouville-Williams, C.B., D.S.O.

[bill24chev]

When was serving with the Gordon Highlanders in the early 1980's one of the officers had a triple barreled name, I believe have seen the same name mentioned for an ancestor of his on this forum.

[rolt968]

I've just found this thread!

I notice someone briefly mentioned Major Major Major as played by Bob Newhart in the film of Catch 22.

The Yorkshire cricketer Major Booth was commissioned in the Leeds Pals and was killed on the first day of the Somme as (I think) 2nd Lieutenant Major Booth. He actually joined in the ranks, so must have started as Private Major Booth.

(I must get the Leeds Pals book out again; it has just occurred to me that he could have been Sergeant Major Booth.)

Roger.

[Ghazala]

I've just found this thread!

I notice someone briefly mentioned Major Major Major as played by Bob Newhart in the film of Catch 22.

The Yorkshire cricketer Major Booth was commissioned in the Leeds Pals and was killed on the first day of the Somme as (I think) 2nd Lieutenant Major Booth. He actually joined in the ranks, so must have started as Private Major Booth.

(I must get the Leeds Pals book out again; it has just occurred to me that he could have been Sergeant Major Booth.)

Roger.

Or perhaps Regimental Sergeant Major Major Booth!

[museumtom]

Working my way through vol 2 of De Ruvigny's Roll when I came across this officer with an unusual name. De Ruvigny did not toletate double barrelled names so this man was listed under 'S'. Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons, David Reginald Harman Phillip, Capt, R.E.

[bill24chev]

On 21/07/2013 at 21:37, Ghazala said:

Or perhaps Regimental Sergeant Major Major Booth!

I recall during my service days there was an RAPC Cpl called Major and some comedian at MRO posted to the Household Cavalry.

Edited 27 May , 2017 by bill24chev

[Muerrisch]

As a slight digression, intended to be both light-hearted and true, the Met. Office in my day [retired 1997] boasted among its 3000 or so staff [almost 50% female] the following men,several of whom reached high office:

 

Gale

 

Flood

 

Frost

 

McCloud [or McCleod possibly]

 

Snow

 

Wind

 

Waterfall

 

there were others which I shall add as the memory banks fire up.

Edited 30 May , 2017 by Muerrisch