http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/colonel_zpsfsbiyvzh.jpg
1918: The tyrant is himself a victim of tyranny
H H Bateman built up a reputation for his ‘the man who…’ series in the 1920s and 1930s. Here he is seen getting into his stride. Looking at the scenes I recall some episodes during my National Service. I never witnessed anything as extreme as this, and certainly not from my Commanding Officer who truly was a gentleman. But elsewhere I saw a number of little tinpot dictators who abused the authority that went with their rank.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/girlsclub_zpslttq0hms.jpg
1918: Who is sorry for whom?
This cartoon is unusually not connected with the War in any way at all.
The lady is probably visiting the girls’ club because she, or her family, is contributing to the club’s finances. I think she expects the girls to realise that the upper class custom is better than the free and easy practices of the girls. She certainly isn’t expecting to be told that the girls are sorry for her.
We are being told that in this respect the customs recorded in the novels of Jane Austen are still being practiced more than a hundred years later.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/lumpsugar_zpsmv6irf4w.jpg
1918: Patriotism Nil: Selfishness One
I suspect that some such scenes were frequently witnessed by this stage of the War. This woman has no care for the national interest. Her complaint cannot succeed. This is one fact that she will be forced to accept.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/seingdaddyoff_zps9tf0no4b.jpg
1918: The Duration of the War
One way of looking at this joke is that the child is wrong in thinking that a state of war is a permanent condition. Another way is to consider, as an adult, that a state of war does indeed seem to be a permanent condition. Having been fed with many wrong optimistic expectations of one massive push the public are beginning to wonder if this wretched war really was going to last for ever.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/bayonet_zpsdlzqbynk.jpg
1918: Bayonet Drill
This cartoon takes me back to August 1953 when I was being taught the use of the bayonet during my army basic training. In my case I think that my thrust was adequate if not overly aggressive. My bigger failure was in not shrieking in a threatening enough manner. This was my automatic response to being told ‘imagine that you are doing this to a black fat wog!’ I am not making this up. Some people really were talking like that back then.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/sarcasm_zpsxy9ljz4x.jpg
1918: The power of sarcasm
The wounded Tommy is reminding the Sister that ‘out there’ there are no rules about anything really.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/beefeater_zps9hz0lfym.jpg
1918: Food Again
Of course the Beefeater is a guardian, not a prisoner, of the Tower of London.
The pre-occupation with food is once again being illustrated. Lord Rondha was the Food Controller, whose task was to ensure that there was enough food for everyone. This responsibility included punishment of people who hoarded food. The boy and his father look suitably thin and the Beefeater looks guiltily stout. The boy draws the wrong conclusion.
During World War Two the Minister of Food was another lord, Lord Woolton.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/matinee_zps5qyhmnor.jpg
1918: How hard is she really working?
Her dilemma is evident. She wants the prestige of being a war worker without the fatigue. Other society women in her milieu worked for long hours in canteens where soldiers on leave could get free refreshments. Some very dedicated women actually set up such establishments in France just behind the lines.
Clearly this cartoon is intended to satirise the woman.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/sugar_zpsrclphftk.jpg
1918: Shortages
This woman is so used to queuing for her food that she mistakenly asks for sugar at the railway booking office. We note the use of a sugar card. During World War Two we had a single ration book to cover all the items that were ‘on the ration’.
This cartoon is the work of George Belcher whose drawings have often appeared in this thread. He does not seem to have been so active in 1918 as he was at other times. He may well have had military duties to perform.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/stiffness_zpstk8vlype.jpg
1918: Military Discipline
H H Bateman is developing his technique which was to achieve fame with the ‘The man who…’ cartoons. The sergeant has to remain totally immobile until the squad receives the order QUICK MARCH.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/camaflague_zpsojvi4s8i.jpg
1918: Flattery = Camouflage?
H H Bateman again. He sees that concealing is common to both flattering portraits and camouflaging military assets.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/leave_zpsahcgqoaa.jpg
1918: Understatement
A humorous remark made at the beginning of his leave. The military establishment realised that it was important to allow soldiers occasional leave from the front line. This enabled men to rehabilitate themselves. Nine days leave really allowed a man to renew his energy for the battles to come.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/nobutter_zpsgrslryiz.jpg
1918: Continuing obsession with food
The sidesman at a society wedding is uttering what he normally says at work. It seems that he has to say it quite often in the shop.
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1918: No sympathy for pacifism
By this stage of the war pacifists were very much in the minority. The child is speaking accurately for the opinions of the many. Punch is very much in support of the Scots lassie.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/kippers_zps9azepm3c.jpg
1918: Laughing at Profiteers
The term ‘profiteer’ first appeared in the pages of Punch during the 1914-1918 conflict. It continued to appear in 20s and 30s. It was aimed at people who had become rich quite suddenly during the war having supplied the Government with things needed for the conduct of the war. Businesses need to make a profit – otherwise they would be bankrupt. The implication of this name was they were profiting from the nation’s ‘noble’ cause. Should these firms have bankrupted themselves as an act of patriotism?
Upper middle class people resented it when ‘the lower orders’ seemed suddenly to be richer than their ‘betters.’ There were frequent jokes about the new rich proletarians saying silly things. This cartoon shows the establishment customers silently despising this stupid woman who is suddenly rich. Of course they won’t say anything but it is clear what they are thinking. The fishmonger doesn’t seem to understand why this silly woman is asking the question. The other well-heeled customers know exactly why.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/medic_zps41r0hfil.jpg
1918: Scraping the barrel
At the start of the war medical officers were fastidious when inspecting potential recruits – many were rejected as unfit. By 1918 the need for ever more men meant that many fairly unfit men were taken into the army. This particular man’s height would pose various difficulties in drill, marching and trench warfare but the MO could no longer afford to be too scrupulous.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/chess_zpsdilesw7l.jpg
1918: Chutzpa in the Navy
H H Bateman’s signature cartoon shows a typical Bateman situation in a naval environment.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/S22904945/nipper_zpsd163axp1.jpg
1918: War without end…
We are shown a typical World War One scene. A couple of Tommies are chatting in their trench obviously in France. It is only the much older one who had done something before taking up soldiering. Even then his experience was related to the war. This is one of several cartoons in 1918 which anticipate an extremely long war – perhaps lasting forever. This reflects a deep mood of pessimism about the many ‘final’ pushes which proved to be anything but final. Some of the old soldiers found it difficult to take in at first when the end really did come about.
These are all just so fabulous . Thank you for posting them.
