Soldiers Nickname "TOGO"

[Peter Shand]

A July 1916 notice in the Westmorland Gazette headed "Missing" advised that Sergt. Walter (Togo) Dixon, the well-known Kendal footballer is reported by a "Pal" as missing.

As his great-nephew, I wonder why the reference to "Togo" was included and what was its significance. I assume it was a nickname. As to it's meaning, the only clue I've come across is in his Description on Enlistment his complexion is given as 'dark'.

His photo attached indicates this is likely true. Has anyone come across this nickname and its meaning?

Puzzled Pete

[alliekiwi]

Nicknames can come from anywhere and for the most silly reasons. Obviously it could be something about him being dark - Togo being a country in Africa. However, if you look at literature, PG Wodehouse has a character named Reginald Twistleton who is known to all as 'Pongo'. I don't think he was named after the river in Africa.

Sorry to say I doubt you'll find anything out. Now if his nickname was 'Blue', we could assume he had red hair...

Allie

[mts]

Hi Pete, I just wonder if it was "Tojo" as he does have in my opinion a little bit of an oriental look about him.

My Dad used to say it about himself, that's what made me think of the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Tojo

Or maybe not !

Mel

[Steven Broomfield]

Now if his nickname was 'Blue', we could assume he had red hair...

Allie

Only if he was an ANZAC. We'd have called him Ginger. No imagination.

[centurion]

. However, if you look at literature, PG Wodehouse has a character named Reginald Twistleton who is known to all as 'Pongo'. I don't think he was named after the river in Africa.

But possibly after an ape. Pongo was naval slang for ape (from the Latin name for the Orangutan) which they also applied to Marines (and by transference any soldier)

[centurion]

Hi Pete, I just wonder if it was "Tojo" as he does have in my opinion a little bit of an oriental look about him.

My Dad used to say it about himself, that's what made me think of the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Tojo

More likely to be a reference to Admiral Togo Heihachiro who defeated the Russian Navy in the Russo - Japanese War. Togo was an ardent Anglophile having studied in Britain and been trained by the RN. The feeling was reciprocated and he was a popular figure in Britain (this may have been helped by his ascribing his sucess to a following of the precepts of Lord Nelson).

[mts]

Hi oops sorry just showing my ignorance, but the name rang a bell

Mel

[auchonvillerssomme]

But possibly after an ape. Pongo was naval slang for ape (from the Latin name for the Orangutan) which they also applied to Marines (and by transference any soldier)

And the fact that wherever the squaddie goes the pongo's.

mick

[Michael Johnson]

Supposedly from a dictionary definition of pongo along the lines of "The least manlike of the apes, given to digging holes in the ground for no apparent reason"

Alternatively, that compared to the Navy, which prided itself on its cleanliness, the brown jobs "ponged".

[centurion]

Alternatively, that compared to the Navy, which prided itself on its cleanliness, the brown jobs "ponged".

Which makes it ironic that the RND was sometimes criticised for a lack of cleanliness in its trenches, sometimes leaving 'brown jobs' lying around