Tommy's Trench Humour in the Great War

Soldiers often turned to humour to alleviate the stress of life in the trenches. We take a light-hearted look at the jokes, puns, and satirical songs were part of Tommy's oral culture. Fully illustrated, the talk includes film clips, the odd musical recording, plus a bit of singing and a little Effin' and Blindin'.

Soldiers often turned to humour to alleviate the stress of life in the trenches. Jokes, puns, and satirical songs were a part of the soldiers’ oral culture. Much of the humour was lost on those outside the soldiers’ group, but it resonated with the soldiers and allowed them to cope with the strain of service and combat.

This presentation takes a light-hearted look at trench humour in slang and through tunes, cartoons, satirical journals, concert parties and in many other ways.

The presentation is fully illustrated, includes film clips and the odd musical recording. It lasts for approximately 50 minutes. (There may be singing and the odd profanity thrown in!)

Members and non-members of The Western Front Association are equally welcome. Any new visitors are guaranteed a friendly atmosphere and a warm welcome from a group of like-minded enthusiasts.