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Message 2 - Army Newspapers

Posted on: 05 May 2005 by Harold Pollins

Tom

I do remember Jon's cartoons. Excellent stuff. I wonder if any other armies had such irreverent publications. I somehow can't imagine the US army allowing them.

Harold

Message 3 - Army Newspapers

Posted on: 05 May 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Harold -
the US 'Stars and Stripes" had a 'weary willie' type of character but I can't recall any of them as the US - as always - are not too subtle with their humour, even the Germans appeared to have a more British type of humour as I recall one little poem
the Cassino days which declared that the company commanded by Kriener...would not be happy.... until the roll call was reduced.... to a one liner ....Kreiner ! I've forgotten the actual wording but it was a hoot...as we had some 'medal hunters' as well !
best regards
tomcan

Message 4 - Army Newspapers

Posted on: 14 May 2005 by a.d. hatcher

hi tom at last i have found somebody who knows about jon ,i have a copy of the[ two types ] as they were known ,i am just started copying on two my computer as the book now is getting a bit frayed now . my father gave this book with his w.w.2 bits defore he died. he was in the r.a. he joined up about 1936 poor sod. any way he must have got this book in africa or italy,ho yes,i,m just looking at may i borrow-er- penknife, old man .i still find some of the quite relevent to day . i under stand that mont,y did not like these characters and find them funny, probably because they took the mick. out of him. so i understand.

Message 5 - Army Newspapers

Posted on: 14 May 2005 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Merryscratch -

You should have that book embalmed as it must be an entry for the Antiques Roadshow, I bet you could get a couple of bob for it.

Monty was not without humour - in fact once in the desert some Colonel took it upon himself to fire the editor.Monty asked why he did that and the Colonel replied that the man was lewd and was living with a local bimbo. Monty said that he should be reinstated as he found him to be funny !
Another time when he was addressing an Arty group he said that they were so good he would like to take them anywhere he could be sent -- there was loud groans all around -- a pause -- then he said that he might go to England -- loud cheers!

Monty was a lot of things that many people didn't like, but his first thought was to preserve his men,unlike too many others ! Gen Oliver Leese for example boasted that he had 2000 tanks and could afford to lose 50% of them before Cassino fell -
that was like 5000 tank crew members ! As it was he nearly made those figures by the time we got through the Gothic Line !

Jon did a great service with his caricatures and they were always funny and took the edge off things, and cheered us up - even for just a few minutes !
best regards
let me see some of those when you get them on your computer !
tomcan