Desmond7 Posted 4 March , 2006 Share Posted 4 March , 2006 I have heard most names for German soldiers in WW1 but this one took me by surprise .. anyone else heard the term 'John' used in connection with the fiendish hun? to the front line. "A","B", and "C" and one platoon of "D" in front line the 3 remaining platoons of 'D' in reserve for ration carrying etc at the Kope down mine shafts The line we now hold lies between Trescault behind us and Havinacourt [Havrincourt] in front. JOHNS outposts are on the ridge in front some 400 yds off his main line is over the ridge 1000 off. He dosent straff much but pretty active with his Machine Guns. 29th All day very quiet [Part 3 page14] August 17 a perfect heaven from the Ypres Sector. A wiring party went out at 11.15pm 16 men C.S.M Whelan and an Officer they were out about 1/2 an hour when JOHNS machine guns opened up on them. The Sergt Major was killed being shot through the temple and the officer wounded in two or three places not serious. The [sergt] Major as usual had no right to go out but he was always foremost where work [Part 3 page 15] August 17 and danger lay and with the men no matter where they had to go. No finer soldier or more brave have given their life in this war than Sergt M. Whelan. Everyone Officers and men are much grieved with the great loss we have sustained. He is the recipient of the M. Medal for bravery on at Thiepval assalt on July 1st 16 and was awarded the Ml. [Part 3 page 16] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph J. Whitehead Posted 4 March , 2006 Share Posted 4 March , 2006 Never saw it used myself Des. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 4 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 4 March , 2006 Thanks oh Fiendish one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 4 March , 2006 Share Posted 4 March , 2006 I have seen a couple of letters from Holmfirth men referring to “John German”, extracts below. “France, May 1st, 1915. Dear Friends, Mayday in beautiful sunny France! Then on Monday night we left for the trenches and got in very quietly. Of course when our lads had got nicely in they wanted to let John German know the Duke’s had arrived, so they started to send him a few knocks on his door, which is merely a matter of about 300 yards away. I think he must have been sleeping with one eye open and did not like being disturbed, as he made a sharp reply, but our first real scare was in the morning when they sent us four sharp shells just over the top of our trench, which made us all jump a little, but I think we have now got quite used to such things, as you know a miss by an inch is as good as a mile. Corporal C Beardsell.” 28th January 1916, Sergeant Taylor Foster of the Leinster Regiment, wrote: “We were only 50 yards away from them. I put my head out one night just before we got relived, and, to my surprise, John German was digging a trench in the rear of their firing line trench, so I just said I would get my own back on that man. I got my rifle and let him have one, and the next thing I saw was that John German had his toes pointed to the sky. Another one said, “I will go and pull my chum in.” But he went the same way. There was a party of them away to the left, but before I had got my section up to fire on them they had got down. It was a good job too, for we would have put them down. I am as happy as the flowers of May, for as long as my wife and child are all right I can go through with a good heart.” Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 4 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 4 March , 2006 Nice one! As in JOhn German/Johnny Turk .. or as in 'personalise' the enemy? Broadly. I'm chuffed! Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoplophile Posted 5 March , 2006 Share Posted 5 March , 2006 An interesting variant of the use of 'John' as a nickname for German soldiers is the sobriquet 'Johnny Square-Head'. (I'm not sure of this was a reference to helmets or what lay under helmets.) (In various northern parts of the US, 'squarehead' is an informal - slightly impolite but less than abusive - term for persons of German or Scandanavian heritage.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 6 March , 2006 Share Posted 6 March , 2006 Cockney usage of "John" to anybody whose name you did not know has been in common use for years and years. I was once asked by an ex docker, "Here John. I've forgot your name again. What is it?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 6 March , 2006 Share Posted 6 March , 2006 Cockney usage of "John" to anybody whose name you did not know has been in common use for years and years. I was once asked by an ex docker, "Here John. I've forgot your name again. What is it?" Yep, I first came across this 'peculiarity' when I first worked wiv Sarf Londoners ('oo fort of themselves as Cockneys) in the very early 60s. And of course our Scouse pal Alexei Sayle made fun of them 'funny' Londoners on his record "'ello John - Go' A New Mo'ah (motor)??" Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 6 March , 2006 Share Posted 6 March , 2006 How about coming from the often used term of 'Johnny Foreigner'? Cheers, Scottie. P.S. Getting tooooooooooo many Cockney's on this site lately for my liking!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 6 March , 2006 Share Posted 6 March , 2006 Getting tooooooooooo many Cockney's on this site lately for my liking!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't worry, Scottie - I reckon most of 'em are "Fast Show" cockneys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 6 March , 2006 Share Posted 6 March , 2006 Jim, thats whats worrying me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compo Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 In the USA Civil War there was "Johnny Reb" (Rebel) mildly derogatory term for a Confederate soldier. Also: Johnny come lately, just generally The name seems to be almost universal for an anonymous person whom you wish to "personalize"! Rgds, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 As in John German/Johnny Turk Assumedly as opposed to the German equivelant of "cockneytones" ~"Allo John got a Noo Volkswagen??" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 Don't worry, Scottie - I reckon most of 'em are "Fast Show" cockneys Just as long as they are not Dick Van Dike cockneys. Or should that read 'mockneys'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 In the USA Civil War there was "Johnny Reb" (Rebel) mildly derogatory term for a Confederate soldier. Then there was "Johnny Crapaud", the term for a Frenchman in the Napoleonic Wars. Means "Johnny Toad". This was believed to be derived from the toads on the French coat of arms, and/or the French habit of eating frogs. "....the device of the ancient kings of France, “three toads erect, saltant.” (Guillim’s Display of Heraldrie, 1611.)" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullerTurner Posted 16 April , 2020 Share Posted 16 April , 2020 “Dear old Johnny Pathan, damn bad friend but bloody good enemy...” How I Won The War by Patrick Ryan, and the film version of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 17 April , 2020 Share Posted 17 April , 2020 Those who went to a certain public school used "Harry" instead, as in "Harry champers" = champagne, "Harry starkers" = naked. I always call their school "Harry Eters". But, as others have pointed out, "John X" was a fairly common English usage and was applied, for instance, to "John Company", the Honourable East India Company. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 17 April , 2020 Share Posted 17 April , 2020 28 minutes ago, Ron Clifton said: Those who went to a certain public school used "Harry" instead, as in "Harry champers" = champagne, "Harry starkers" = naked. I always call their school "Harry Eters". Ron Ampleforth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 19 April , 2020 Share Posted 19 April , 2020 (edited) No. I don't think the Ampleforth lads were allowed champagne. Unless their headmaster was Dom Perignon. Ron Edited 19 April , 2020 by Ron Clifton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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