Regimental Nicknames

The Queens Royal west Surreys Known as THE MUTTON LANCERS.
The Royal Artillery THE LONG RANGE SNIPERS
The Norfolok Regiment THE BAD PENNYS
The Yorks and Lancs THE CAT AND CABBAGE
The Ramc RATS AFTER MOULDY CHEESE
RUN AWAY MOTHERS COMING
ROB ALL MY COMRADES

The Liverpool regiment THE BIRD AND BASTARD

 

The Cheshires The Acorns.
10th Londons The Hackney Gurkhas
The Navy Fish Heads,Skates.
The RAF Blue jobs,Crabfats
The Army Brown jobs,Pongoes.
Special ops Sneaky Beaky

Various cavalry regiments which i cannot remember the names of.
The Cherry Pickers
The Rocking Horses
The RAF Regiment RockApes
Queens lancashire Regt The Queens last resort.

I was also told that the Wessex Div in WW2 was known as the British s.s.

 

The Lincolnshire Regiment were also known as the "Springers". Some say they got this nickname because of their quickness and mobility when (as the 10th Foot) they participated in the American War of Independence. I believe the 62nd Foot (the Wiltshire Regiment) also had the same nickname.

 

It is with great regret, and not a little sadness, that there are no old pals around now to call me "Hey Swanage" They are all long departed,

Even my pals that occompanied me on the lecture round have left us. I always place an empty chair at speaking venues for my lost pals.
sapper

 

The RAF Blue jobs,Crabfats

one hates to be pedantic :P but the term "crabfat" actually refers to the WWI Fleet Air Arm and their use of Crabfat as doping for the fabric on their aircraft!

 

I am getting ready for my next project, the history of 45 Cdo RM (Any Suggestions most welcome) and I see that Osprey has a book out called FUBAR: Soldier Slang of World War II by Gordon L Rottman It looks at Commonwealth, American and German slang used by soldiers during WWII.

FUBAR = F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition

 

The 49th Div, "Polar bear" div, were somewhat unfairly christened the Nijmegen Home Guard in 1944. Because it was believed that they never went any further.

 

After seeing a nickname on a post today I was going to start a thread but I found this thread and here we go:

The Royal Corps of Signals = Scaley Backs

The name allegedly comes from early Radio Operators who would have a scale-like skin on their backs due to the leaking battery acid from the primitive radio battery packs of the day.

However, the real reason for the term comes from 'Scale E', which was the pay band that sigs were originally given, to differentiate from ordinary pay levels.

Household Cavalry Regiment =

1st Life Guards = The Cheesemongers

The wholesale replacement of aristocrats by common troopers in 1788 gave the Life Guards the nickname of Cheesemongers.

The Royal Horse Guards = The Oxford Blues

From the title of their commander (the Earl of Oxford, 1690) and the blue uniform.

1st (Royal) Dragoons = The Bird Catchers

This comes from them capturing a French Eagle at Waterloo.

9th/12th Royal Lancers = The Delhi Spearmen

From the Indian Mutiny. The cry of retreating mutineers being, Delhi Bhala Wallah.

11th Hussars = The Cherry-pickers

From an incident in Spain in 1811. French cavalry, contrary to all the usages and customs of war, sneaked up on them whilst they were looting a cherry orchard forcing them to fight a dismounted action.

The King's Royal Hussars = The Emperor's Chambermaids

From the 14th Hussars who captured Joseph Napoleon's carriage at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813 and retained a silver chamberpot from the carriage.

The Queens Own Hussars = The Saucy Seventh

The 7th Queen's Own Hussars described themselves as this on a recruiting poster in the early 19th century.

I'll try and dig some more out later

Cheers
Andy

 

The Grenadier Guards

By long tradition the Regiment has had the following nicknames;
The Regiment. 'The Bill Browns'
The 1st Battalion. ' The Dandies'
The 2nd Battalion. 'The Models'
The 3rd Battalion. 'The Ribs'

Cheers
Paul

 

Ahhh... but you have to explain why too Paul

 

Paul

I was interested to read your piece about the 78 Div
What about divisions, too?
The 78th was always called 'Churchill's Butchers' because of their battle flash.
_____________

As you know, I was in 78 Div for quite a while and can't remember that title being used

After reading your piece I did a bit of Googling and soon found two other explanations, I'm sure that I could have found more, given time.

Burma Star Association site:
ARTHUR WEBSTER - ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGT:- Son John writes "MY FATHER ARTHUR WEBSTER SERVED IN BURMA WITH THE ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGT. HE PASSED AWAY IN 1990 I CAME ACROSS HIS PAY BOOK THE OTHER DAY AND FOUND A POEM IN THE BACK OF IT . IT READS AS FOLLOWS KOHIMA THE LITTLE YELLOW PERILS OF THE RISING SUN THEY TRIED TO BEAT THE SECOND DIV BUT NOW THERE ON THE RUN FROM KOHIMA DOWN TO IMPHAL THEY WERE BEATEN ALL THE WAY AND NOW THEY'RE STILL A RUNNING RIGHT BACK TO MANDALAY THEY CALL US CHURCHILL'S BUTCHERS BECAUSE WE GAVE THEM HELL

Also in the BBC WW2 Archives I found this:
Royal West Kents
By the time my battilion reached Sicily our regiment got split up. The section I was in headed for a place that we nickanamed 'Cherry Ripe', otherwise known as Senturreep (unsure of spelling). This was the first place we went to in Italy and was controlled by the S.S. We took it and earned ourselves the nickname 'Churchills Butchers' because the aftermath resembled a butchers shop, such was the destruction.


It looks like everyone wanted to be known as "Churchill's Butchers"

 

Try this link found while trying to find origins of Grenadier nicknames

Regimental Nicknames - ARRSEpedia

Cheers
Paul

 

Senturreep = Centuripe - first city in Sicily liberated

Cheers

 

Scarlet Lancers

It was in 1822when George 1V was having a battle with Queen Caroline - over many things - she was then Hon. Colonel of the 16th lancers and einsistedthat they wore RED tunics as opposed to the general blue tunics of the normal Lancers regiments.

While they were not consulted about this - the regiment unfortunately toasted "the Queen"- George 1V was by no means amused and when 1824 arrived - it did at the same time as aletter to the regiment that they should forthwith proceed to India.........they were not allowed back to theUk for 24 years........

they STILL toast "The Queen" as the present Queen has been Hon.Colonel as Princess Elizabeth since 1947....... now of course they are amalagamated with 17/21st lancers as " the Queens Royal Lancers.....

Cheers

 

Hey Guys,
The only nicknames I know are in the New Zealand forces was for the companies of the 28th (Maori) Battalion. They are:

A Company from Northland and Auckland- The gumdiggers, Kauri (a native NZ tree) gum was dug out of swamps for export to be made into floor polish and such in the early 1900's.

B company from Arawa-Mataatua area- Pennydivers, I think it was something to with diving for pennies that tourists had thrown into lakes and rivers in the Rotorua area.

C Company from Tairawhiti (East coast of the North Island)- The Cowboys, the are they came from was pretty rugged and predominantly farming.

D Company from the South Island.- Known as Ngati Walkbout, as the South Island is a pretty vast area with very few people.

Hope that is of interest to someone.

 

According to Wikipedia, the IVth Queen's Own Hussars were also at one time referred to as "The Crossbelts"

Crossbelts: At the Battle of Almenar in 1710 the 4th Dragoons pursued the Spanish Cavalry Corps and, equipping themselves with the crossbelts of the enemy, cut down the Spaniards with their own swords. The crossbelts were worn with distinction for many years, and the nickname 'St Georges Crossbelts' was given to the Regiment. Although the crossbelt worn today is based on the original 4th Hussar pattern, the continuing tradition of titling the Regimental Journal 'The Crossbelts' is in recognition of this famous action, as is its use as the nickname for the regimental Polo Team.

 

I was in the Essex & Kent Scottish -- and we were always the Eeks and Squeaks.
Earller in the thread, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment was referred to and I always knew them as the Hasty Pees.
One I don't think has been on this list was the traditional for the Quartermaster -- Rags or Rag Pickers.
One of my favourites has always been that of the First American Division - Big Red or Big Red One.

cheers,
phil

 

Is it just me, or does the link not work for anyone else?