Page 75 - History of War - Issue 01-14

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TRENCHES
First World War: Amid the terror and tragedy of war-torn
Flanders emerged a publication that offered hope and
humour to the brave troops on the frontline. Christopher
Westhorp tells the triumphant story of The Wipers Times
N MID-FEBRUARY 1916, A MINOR other sanctioned but less well-known “trench our hats off to: the person who introduced
rumble rippling through Ypres in the publications” by other units and battalions.) the order forbidding Company Commanders
British-held sector of western Flanders What Roberts and Pearson were able to to go beyond their frontline trench”).
Imight not have been due to an enemy satisfy among the men in the trenches –
barrage, but the sound of the fi rst copies of who were exposed constantly to the fear of Hellish circumstances
a soldier-produced trench newspaper rolling mutilation or death – was the cathartic power At the end, with the war over and victory won,
off the presses. The publication, named of comedy, and especially that which poked The Better Times was more refl ective than the
The Wipers Times (monoglot British soldiers fun subversively at the status quo. In so mainstream civilian press at home, observing:
had rechristened Ypres as “Wipers”), was a doing, they created a pastiche that drew upon “One cannot but remark on the absolute
remarkable feat because the city was at the a vibrant British tradition of humorous and apathy with which the end was received
heart of sustained Anglo-German fi ghting for satirical literature, which could be traced back over here. England seems to have had a
the duration of the Great War, and there were to the 1720s with the prints of Hogarth, and jollifi cation, but here one saw nothing but
signifi cant restrictions in force (as well as later to the political caricatures of Gillray and a disinterested interest in passing events.”
limited Y and E letters to typeset the pages). Cruikshank. Improvements in technology then It continued, “Anyway, though some may be
Sometimes – particularly in 1917, when the enabled magazines such as the weekly Punch sorry it’s over, there is little doubt that the line
Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) raged – to take off and thrive, popularising the art form men are not, as most of us have been cured
the work took place under incessant artillery and broadening the targets to be satirised. of any little illusions we may have had about
bombardment. The wry debut editorial set The paper’s audience of fellow combatants the pomp and glory of war, and know it for the
the tone for what its readers could expect: was a socially mixed one that was shaped into vilest disaster that can befall mankind.”
“Having managed to pick up a printing outfi t a community by experiences of endurance in Furthermore, unlike the many memoirs by
(slightly soiled) at a reasonable price, we horrifi c circumstances. Contrary to what many survivors that appeared after the war, with
have decided to produce a paper. There is might have supposed, these doughty readers refl ections that benefi ted from hindsight, the
much that we would like to say in it, but the sustained their spirit not with stirring stories trench journals consist of spontaneous and
shadow of censorship enveloping us causes of valour by fellow warriors, but with tension- immediate material. In this sense, The Wipers
us to refer to the war, which we hear is taking defusing humour in all its forms. The Victorian Times preserves the spirit of the frontline, with
place in Europe, in a cautious manner.” ideal of the stoic Briton with the stiff upper its jargon and uplifting commitment to a kindly
lip was a real type, and one from which many humanity despite the hellish circumstances
Comedic catharsis men did indeed get inspiration. But there was in which it was produced. Horror is defl ected
The editor was Captain (later Lieutenant also a typically British counterweight in the and ultimately defeated with indomitable
Colonel) FJ “Fred” Roberts, serving with the form of the belief that no one should ever take cheerfulness. A century later, along with
12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (attached themselves too seriously. Pomposity was to remembrance of the sacrifi ces made by
to the 24th Division), and his sub-editor was be ridiculed. That morale in the British Army those who took part in the war, it should be a
Lieutenant (later Major) JH “Jack” Pearson. generally remained upbeat throughout the war source of pride that such a gallant generation
Their hope, they declared, was to publish suggests these cultural values proved useful. of men never lost their appetite for laughter.
weekly, “but should our effort come to an Most readers of Private Eye and online Over the page, History Of War presents extracts

untimely end by any adverse criticism or sources of satire such as The Onion or The from the first issue of The Wipers Times…
attentions by our local rival, Messrs Hun and Daily Mash would recognise the editorial
Co, we shall consider it an unfriendly act and formula of The Wipers Times: a mixture of
take steps accordingly”. Only four editions jokes, regular contributor characters (The
were issued under the original title, before it Padre), comic journalist pseudonyms (Belary
was incorporated into The “New Church” Times Helloc), amusing ditties, diaries (one is by
in April 1916 after the authors’ regiment Lieutenant Samuel Pepys), columns, spoof
moved to Neuve-Église. Four editions later, adverts (“Also our new combination respirator Readers can get a copy
the unit moved again and the paper morphed and mouth organ. The dulcet tones of the of The Wipers Times
fi rst into The Kemmel Times and then into mouth organ will brighten even the worst for £7 (RRP £9.99).
The Somme Times (one edition each in July gas attack.”), a send-up serial (with Herlock To order, call 0844 567
1916), before becoming The BEF Times Shomes), humorous correspondence to the 8122 and quote reference
for 11 editions. The fi nal two papers, issued editor and limerick-completion competitions. CH1793. Alternatively,
you can order online from
in November and December 1918, were However, affi rming the exclusivity of the www.store.anovabooks.com
fi ttingly titled The Better Times. However, all readers and their special camaraderie forged using the offer code
23 papers are commonly referred to as The in combat, there were lots of in-jokes for at the checkout. Offer
Wipers Times. (In addition, there were many the troops (for example, “People we take valid until 30 March.
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