Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons during the First World War were a major plank in the morale of the troops on the Front Line and of those at Home. His drawings, based upon personal experience in the trenches, showed life as it really was, yet at the same time allowed everyone to laugh - at themselves, at authority and at the enemy. His cartoons were avidly anticipated in the trenches and in most homes in Great Britain (who would also have owned examples of the many pottery items that carried his drawings).
The French, Italian and American Forces, recognising the effect of Bairnsfather’s cartoons upon morale, asked for Bairnsfather to work his special magic on their troops too. Soon plays and films featuring his archetypal characters, Old Bill, Bert and Alf were making people laugh literally all over the world and he was uniquely created 'Officer Cartoonist'.
The Secret Service (MI7) planned the inclusion of propaganda messages in the replies to his fan mail.
However, The Establishment, and armchair Generals were upset by the realistic depiction of life in the trenches and The Times decried the drawings as showing a 'degraded type of face'. Later the Imperial War Museum dismissed the 'artistic' value of the drawings - as if that mattered or was even true.
In our opinion these ignorant attitudes have prevented Bruce Bairnsfather's contribution to the war effort from being properly and officially recognised. In 1934 the British Legion Journal said, 'England owes Bruce Bairnsfather a good deal more than its leaders have yet recognised'.
It is time for that recognition.
We are proposing that a leading member of the Government should make a statement in the House that Bairnsfather's contribution should be retrospectively recognised and that that statement should be made just before the 100th Anniverary of the publication of Bairnsfather's most famous cartoon - 'The Better 'Ole' - in October 2015.
The power of just that one cartoon alone is such that it is continually used even today with characters as diverse as Archbishops, Prime Ministers, Russian leaders, Bosnian personalities and Sinn-Fein IRA finding themselves in that ‘Ole.
No donations of any sort are asked for.
Your support will help us to redress a wrong for the man who Sir Ian Hamilton said was, 'a real asset …who made the Empire laugh in its darkest hour’.
Please sign. Thank you.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
September 5, 2014
September 1, 2014
I have been spending my evenings reading through your stories about what Bairnsfather meant to your own families during the war. It confirms exactly why we must continue pushing for his proper recognition despite the indifference shown by the establishment.
Reached 100 supporters
August 23, 2014
August 21, 2014
My grandfather always told me how much these cartoons kept him going during the mud and misery of the trenches. We are climbing toward our first milestone and I need you to pass this link to two people who appreciate our history. If we keep this momentum moving we can finally force the museum to acknowledge a man who kept our soldiers laughing through hell.
315 Comments
Humour in adversity is a potent force for morale and Bairnfather's cartoons and his contribution does deserve some official recognition, though I wonder what Old Bill would say to that.
The power of Bairnsfather's cartoons cannot be underestimated. Respected by soldiers and civilians alike, his 'Fragments from France' carry the authentic voice of the man in the trenches.
Bruce Bairnsfather certainly deserves recognition (even though there is a little family bias as he was my grandfather). His many cartoons and books put a smile on many faces. His work really is still very relevant today. Thank you to the Holts for organizing this petition!
Bruce Bairnsfather was a special part of my childhood. Whenever I went to stay with my aunt and uncle, my uncle would let me look through his copy of Frangments from France. Now the cartoons have a different special meaning in that they showed what what my uncle and his brother in law, my grandfather, experienced
As a professional media cartoonist , I see this as belatedly correcting a wronged and great cartoonist , and a historical boot in backside of the class bound cretins who opposed him.
as old bill was my great uncle ,T H Rafferty the original Old Bill I feel my signature promotes the lives of both men
I've been inspired reading about this man - embarrassed that I'd not heard of him before. His army of fans have now passed on but as we look back on WW1 - seen through today's eyes - surely 'today's establishment' should recognise what he did for war-time morale both at the Front and with the home fires. I recommend reading Bullets & Billets.
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Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons during the First World War were a major plank in the morale of the troops on the Front Line and of those at Home. His drawings, based upon personal experience in the trenches, showed life as it really was, yet at the same time allowed everyone to laugh - at themselves, at authority and at the enemy. His cartoons were avidly anticipated in the trenches and in most homes in Great Britain (who would also have owned examples of the many pottery items that carried his drawings).
The French, Italian and American Forces, recognising the effect of Bairnsfather’s cartoons upon morale, asked for Bairnsfather to work his special magic on their troops too. Soon plays and films featuring his archetypal characters, Old Bill, Bert and Alf were making people laugh literally all over the world and he was uniquely created 'Officer Cartoonist'.
The Secret Service (MI7) planned the inclusion of propaganda messages in the replies to his fan mail.
However, The Establishment, and armchair Generals were upset by the realistic depiction of life in the trenches and The Times decried the drawings as showing a 'degraded type of face'. Later the Imperial War Museum dismissed the 'artistic' value of the drawings - as if that mattered or was even true.
In our opinion these ignorant attitudes have prevented Bruce Bairnsfather's contribution to the war effort from being properly and officially recognised. In 1934 the British Legion Journal said, 'England owes Bruce Bairnsfather a good deal more than its leaders have yet recognised'.
It is time for that recognition.
We are proposing that a leading member of the Government should make a statement in the House that Bairnsfather's contribution should be retrospectively recognised and that that statement should be made just before the 100th Anniverary of the publication of Bairnsfather's most famous cartoon - 'The Better 'Ole' - in October 2015.
The power of just that one cartoon alone is such that it is continually used even today with characters as diverse as Archbishops, Prime Ministers, Russian leaders, Bosnian personalities and Sinn-Fein IRA finding themselves in that ‘Ole.
No donations of any sort are asked for.
Your support will help us to redress a wrong for the man who Sir Ian Hamilton said was, 'a real asset …who made the Empire laugh in its darkest hour’.
Please sign. Thank you.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
September 5, 2014
September 1, 2014
I have been spending my evenings reading through your stories about what Bairnsfather meant to your own families during the war. It confirms exactly why we must continue pushing for his proper recognition despite the indifference shown by the establishment.
Reached 100 supporters
August 23, 2014
August 21, 2014
My grandfather always told me how much these cartoons kept him going during the mud and misery of the trenches. We are climbing toward our first milestone and I need you to pass this link to two people who appreciate our history. If we keep this momentum moving we can finally force the museum to acknowledge a man who kept our soldiers laughing through hell.
315 Comments
Bairnsfather was one of the most important factors in morale during the Great War, and indeed even during the Second. That he has been recognised only by 3, privately funded plaques, is a wrong,easily righted, by an official public statement of his contribution in these, the centenary years of the Great Waf
Humour in adversity is a potent force for morale and Bairnfather's cartoons and his contribution does deserve some official recognition, though I wonder what Old Bill would say to that.
The power of Bairnsfather's cartoons cannot be underestimated. Respected by soldiers and civilians alike, his 'Fragments from France' carry the authentic voice of the man in the trenches.
Bruce Bairnsfather certainly deserves recognition (even though there is a little family bias as he was my grandfather). His many cartoons and books put a smile on many faces. His work really is still very relevant today. Thank you to the Holts for organizing this petition!
Bruce Bairnsfather was a special part of my childhood. Whenever I went to stay with my aunt and uncle, my uncle would let me look through his copy of Frangments from France. Now the cartoons have a different special meaning in that they showed what what my uncle and his brother in law, my grandfather, experienced
As a professional media cartoonist , I see this as belatedly correcting a wronged and great cartoonist , and a historical boot in backside of the class bound cretins who opposed him.
as old bill was my great uncle ,T H Rafferty the original Old Bill I feel my signature promotes the lives of both men
I've been inspired reading about this man - embarrassed that I'd not heard of him before. His army of fans have now passed on but as we look back on WW1 - seen through today's eyes - surely 'today's establishment' should recognise what he did for war-time morale both at the Front and with the home fires. I recommend reading Bullets & Billets.
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Bairnsfather was one of the most important factors in morale during the Great War, and indeed even during the Second. That he has been recognised only by 3, privately funded plaques, is a wrong,easily righted, by an official public statement of his contribution in these, the centenary years of the Great Waf