Tommies Collection (page 4)

Captain tasting the mens dinner on Christmas day
Cooking the plum pudding in a German steel helmet - A Christmas Scene in a British dug-out at the front. 1916

Illustrated London News Christmas Number 1914 WW1
The Illustrated London News Christmas Number 1914 with an illustration by Samuel Begg showing a British soldier holding a huge, steaming Christmas pudding decorated with Allied flags and holly

Stiff by H. M. Bateman, WW1 cartoon
Hilarious sequential cartoon by H. M. Bateman showing a French soldier unable to move the crank on the front of an officers car

Christmas card by H L Oakley for the 32nd Division, Dec 1918
Christmas 1918 - " We re Still Smiling". Christmas card produced by H L Oakley for the 32nd Division in December 1918 after the conclusion of WW1. Date: 1918

After a meal in a British trench 1915
A peaceful pipe before another spell of duty. 1915

The Irrespressibles by J. H. Thorpe
Xmas 1913 - and 1914, but still smiling. The irrepressible spirit of the British Tommy illustrated by J. H. Thorpe in December 1914. Date: 1914

WW1 - British Tommies welcomed on arrival in France Date: 1914

Inter-Allied Fraternisation - British and French in Flanders
WW1 - Inter-Allied Fraternisation - The Friends of Today, not the Foes of Waterloo - British and French soldiers fraternising in Flanders. Date: 1915

Inter-Allied Fraternisation - Paris Cafe - WW1. British Tommies chat to their French counterparts and colonial French troops from Dominique. Date: 1915

British bombing party clear trenches near Roeux
" Forward the Bombers!" - British bombing party clear Germans from their trenches near Roeux. The attacks on the village of Roeux were part of the Battle of Arras (9th April - 17th May 1917)

At the Brewery Baths by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" You chuck another sardine at me, my lad, and you ll hear from my solicitors." High jinks in a brewery on the Western Front utilised as a baths for British soldiers

A Countess Gave me a cup of tea, WW1 soldier & canteen
A First World War soldier received a cup of tea from an aristocratic lady in a nurses uniform. Canteening was one of the favourite voluntary occupations of well-born women during the Great War

Through Mud to Victory by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
Private 90045 Gerrard, after three-quarters of a mile of this, sincerely hopes it won t be a dud. A private British soldier struggles through the mud

British soldiers looking at German timetable in Mons station
Two British soldiers stand looking at the railway timetable -written in German - at Mons station at the end of the First World War

Illustrated War News - British soldier in captured dug-out
Front cover of The Illustrated War News featuring a photograph of a British soldier posing inside the entrance of a captured German dug-out. Date: 1916

Illustrated War News - Tommy at the Front
Front cover of The Illustrated War News with a photograph of typical British Tommies at the Front with blankets over their uniform to ward against the cold. Date: 1916

Illustrated War News front cover, soldier writing letter
Front cover of the fourth issue of weekly magazine, The Illustrated War News, produced by the Illustrated London News and dedicated to covering all aspects of the First World War through a mix of

Sphere cover - French refugees from lost villages, Matania
A refugee French mother and her children are given a lift by some British soldiers on a road in Northern France as they escape the approaching German guns

Sphere cover - British infantry waiting in trench to attack
Front cover of The Sphere with a photograph showing British infantry in a support trench waiting to attack during the preliminary bombardment preceding the attack on 1 July 1916

Christmas leave 1916, scene at Victoria station by Matania
Soldiers exiting Victoria train station, arriving in London on leave for Christmas during the First World War. The central figure

Sphere cover - His Xmas letter from the trenches, Matania
Front cover of The Sphere featuring an illustration by Fortunino Matania of a British soldier writing a letter home to his family at Christmas

British troops bivouacked before attack on the Somme, WW1
The British offensive in the Somme district of France - men of the Warwickshire Regiment bivouacked before an attack in July 1916. Date: 1916

British troops with their latest equipment, WW1
Men of the Worcestershire Regiment resting before an attack on the Western Front in July 1916. Date: 1916

Soldiers as munitions workers
Having enlisted early in the war, and been sent back from the front, many British soldiers found work in factories producing war munitions. Date: 1915

Made in the Trenches, Arf a Mo Kaiser, WW1 charity book
Front cover of Made in the Trenches, a book published to raise money for the Star and Garter Fund in aid of disabled soldiers and sailors during the war

A Hint to Speculators, trench humour, WW1
" Joe, as it ever struck you that this would be one of the places where Tubes would pay?" Two Tommies wading through a water-logged trench ruminate on the advantages of an underground

My Magazine cover - British WW1 soldier
Front cover of the childrens title, My Magazine featuring a British infantry soldier marching in profile. 1918

WW1 knitting postcard - Absent yet Near
A young wife sits at home knitting comforts for the troops with her soldier husband very much in her thoughts, subliminally sending her a loving, but rather bad poem. Date: c.1915

Vesta Tilley, WW1
Vesta Tilley (1864-1952), born Matilda Alice Powles, later Lady de Frece, music hall actress whose speciality was male impersonations

British soldiers washing at a rest camp
Washing off the mud of Flanders - our Tommies tubbing in a rest camp. British soldiers coming out of the front line, immediately take advantage of a line of tin baths arranged for them at a rest

British troops arrive from the trenches at Waterloo Station
Troops just arrived at Waterloo Station from the trenches buying tickets at the booking office for travel to their suburban homes. A typical scene at London train stations during the First World War

British soldiers playing chess, WW1
A sketch drawn from life by a British officer at the front showing two soldiers passing the time by playing chess using various forms of cartridges for the different pieces. Date: 1915

Soldier and family at Victoria train station, WW1
Illustration showing soldiers either returning home from the front or returning to France at Victoria Station accompanied by anxious wives and families. Date: 1915

Seeing themselves as Bairnsfather sees them
A homage to the cartoons of Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander, drawn by an amateur soldier artist, Major D. de la C. Ray

Nobbled, by Bairnsfather
Nobbled " Ow long are you up for, Bill?" " Seven years" " Yer lucky-, I m duration" Two British soldiers, Old Bill and Bert

Enough of war plays - theatre in WW1 by Norman Morrow
A soldier back home on leave from the trenches is disgruntled to find that the entertainment on offer at the theatre is war-themed. He sees enough of that at the Front

Freemans Glass Lemon drink advertisement, WW1
Advertisement for Freeman Glass Lemon, an instant lemonade drink to be diluted with water and which, if the advertisement is to be believed

A group of Tommies and two nurses relaxing in the garden. Photograph

Studies of two Tommies and a captured German Officer. Jean-Jacques Berne-Bellecour (1874-1939)

Watercolour study of a Tommy (two poses - full face and profile). Drawing on reverse of two rear views of Tommies.. 21017 Private P. J. Hill, D Company, 20Th Battalion, The County Of London Regiment

Five portraits of Tommies
36th Company, 20th City of London Battalion, Chiselhurst, Kent, 1915. Five portraits of Tommies - Marching Order, Guard Mounting, Guard, Cave, Fatigue.. 21017 Private P. J

Two Tommies standing outside gateway to Carlisle Castle
Preliminary sketch - two Tommies standing outside the gateway to Carlisle Castle. Captain Joseph Simpson, Rba, Royal Flying Corps. (1879-1939) - Official War Artist To The Raf In 1918

3 Tommies enjoying their fags - Abdulla Cigarette Co. Ltd
Smiling - smoking cigarettes. 3 Tommies enjoying their fags. For the Abdulla Cigarette Co. Ltd. English School

Two drawings of British Tommies, both signed & dated 1917 and dedicated to Amicalent au Lieutenant Colonel G. Bradley. Jean-Jacques Berne-Bellecour (1874-1939)

Dawn, First World War scene on the Western Front
Dawn, photographed by Cooke showing British troops, who have slept in the open country waking up to a misty morning in Flanders. Date: 1914

The Bill for Billeting Soldiers, WW1
Billeting terms for householders taking in soldiers during the early weeks of the First World War. with an extremely young soldier demonstrating how a young Tommy fits in - sleeping on the floor

A blanket converted into an overcoat for British soldiers
The blanket as overcoat. With the shortage of military overcoats, a suggestion for converting a blanket into a warm and practical coat

The Sphere, Christmas in War Time. Cover of the Christmas edition, depicting cheerful British soldiers raising a cup around a warming fire to Christmas and to a crucifix. Date: 1914

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"Tommies: The Unsung Heroes of World War I" In the midst of the chaos and devastation of World War I, a group emerged as symbols of resilience and determination - the Tommies. These brave British soldiers became an integral part of history, leaving behind a legacy that would be remembered for generations to come. The iconic cartoon "A Miner Success" by Bruce Bairnsfather captured the spirit of these men. Through his witty illustrations, he depicted their unwavering courage in the face of adversity. Their indomitable spirit was further immortalized in advertisements like Wrights Coal Tar Soap and Horlicks ration of malted milk tablets from 1916, showcasing how even amidst war, personal hygiene and nutrition were not forgotten. Gerald C. Hudson's poignant work "Periscope and All" shed light on the realities faced by these soldiers in trenches. It revealed their constant vigilance while highlighting their ability to find solace in small moments amidst unimaginable circumstances. One such moment was captured by George Burchett, a tattoo artist who etched permanent reminders onto Tommy's skin – symbols that represented hope or remembrance during those dark times. Meanwhile, Bruce Bairnsfather's illustration titled "Where Did That One Go To?" portrayed the camaraderie shared among soldiers as they navigated through treacherous battlefields together. As Alfred Leete showcased in his artwork "Salutes Assorted, " respect and honor were deeply ingrained within these troops' DNA. They stood tall with pride as they marched towards danger, embodying bravery at its finest. Fast forward to 1944 when British troops found respite after six days fighting; their exhausted bodies sought rest but never lost sight of their mission. This image served as a testament to their endurance and perseverance throughout countless battles. Alfred Leete's masterpiece "Twenty-eight days furlough" encapsulated what every Tommy yearned for – a brief respite from the horrors of war.