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remained on duty at an outpost. Despite the pleas of his comrades, he insisted that he must remain at his post. He was killed at his post, and the
Reverend Hardy wrote that "His name happened to be Tommy Atkins and so, throughout the Mutiny Campaign, when a daring deed was done, the doer was said to
572:
Soldier and sailor words and phrases; including slang of the trenches and the air force; British and
American war-words and service terms and expressions in every-day use; nicknames, sobriquets, and titles of regiments, with their origins; the battle-honours of the Great War awarded to the British
155:, spotted the best man-at-arms in the regiment, Private Thomas Atkins, terribly wounded. The private said "It's all right, sir. It's all in a day's work" and died shortly after. According to the Imperial War Museum, this theory has Wellington choosing the name in 1843.
212:, pp. 75–87, published by the War Office, 31 August 1815. The name is used for an exemplary cavalry and infantry soldier; other names used included William Jones and John Thomas. Thomas Atkins continued to be used in the
92:
troops would also call
British soldiers "Tommies". In more recent times, the term Tommy Atkins has been used less frequently, although the name "Tom" is occasionally still heard; private soldiers in the British Army's
128:
has been used as a generic name for a common
British soldier for many years. The origin of the term is a subject of debate, but it is known to have been used as early as 1743. A letter sent from
284:. It was immediately published by Willcocks & Co. Ltd. in London and published by T. B. Harms & Co. in New York the next year. The song was also reintroduced into later performances of
244:
Front cover of sheet music, pub 1893, for song "Private Tommy Atkins" composed by Samuel Potter (1851–1934) and Henry
Hamilton (c. 1854 – 1918). Signed by baritone C. Hayden Coffin.
178:, signing with a mark. The Cavalry form had Trumpeter William Jones and Sergeant John Thomas, though they did not use a mark. Leslie observes the same name in the 1837
208:
states its origin as "arising out of the casual use of this name in the specimen forms given in the official regulations from 1815 onward"; the citation references
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148:
842:
292:(1 March 1900) where "the audience were roused to such a pitch of enthusiasm, that they rose to their feet, and commenced to shower money on to the stage".
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wrote "Lines in Praise of Tommy Atkins" in 1898, which was an attack on what McGonagall saw as the disparaging portrayal of Tommy in
Kipling's poem.
184:, pages 204 and 210, and later editions. Leslie comments that this disproves the anecdote about the Duke of Wellington selecting the name in 1843.
240:
837:
305:, toy soldiers representing various historical wars are brought to life by magic. One is a World War I medic who says his name is Tommy Atkins.
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766:
British Second World War
Reenactment Society in the UK, and winner of the Best Display Award at the Victory Show 2007 sponsored by the
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A further suggestion was given in 1900 by an army chaplain named
Reverend E. J. Hardy. He wrote of an incident during the
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Atkins became a sergeant in the 1837 version, and was now able to sign his name rather than merely make his mark.
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were fleeing to the
British Residency for protection, a private of the
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601:"Why Were British Soldiers Nicknamed 'Tommies' During the Great War?"
587:"Why Were British Soldiers Nicknamed 'Tommies' During the Great War?"
650:. The New York Public Library, Astor, Lennox, and Tilden Foundation
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76:. It can be used as a term of reference, or as a form of address.
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about a mutiny amongst the troops says "except for those from
790:"Why were English soldiers called 'Tommy Atkins' or 'Tommy'?"
478:"Why were English soldiers called 'Tommy Atkins' or 'Tommy'?"
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382:
347:
61:
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Johnson, Ben. "The
British Tommy, Tommy Atkins", Historic UK
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For other uses of the name Tom, Tommy or Thomas Atkins, see
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109:
A publicity photograph of "Tommy Atkins", a soldier of the
143:, having been inspired by the bravery of a soldier at the
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Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914–1918
320:" was a nickname for a British soldier's portable stove.
151:. After a fierce engagement, the Duke, in command of the
113:, seated with a large doll in his arms, taken during the
648:"(notated music) Private Tommy Atkins, (1894 - 1894)"
261:, which were dedicated "To T.A.") in 1892. In reply,
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Who is Tommy? Where does the term ‘Tommy’ come from?
669:
646:Digital Collections, The New York Public Library.
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516:J. H. Leslie (24 February 1912). "Thomas Atkins".
276:(lyrics) and Samuel Potter (music) wrote the song
136:ye Marines and Tommy Atkins behaved splendidly".
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139:A common belief is that the name was chosen by
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444:Tommy Atkins: The Story of the English Soldier
172:in 1815, in every sample infantry form in the
84:if they wished to speak to a British soldier.
843:British Army personnel killed in World War II
288:for Hayden Coffin. He recalled singing it on
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730:has original text related to this article:
703:Tea, Rum and Fags: Sustaining Tommy 1914–18
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80:soldiers would call out to "Tommy" across
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498:
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164:in 1912, "Tommy Atkins" was chosen as a
141:Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
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223:in 1857. When most of the Europeans in
210:Collection of Orders, Regulations, etc.
838:British Army personnel of World War II
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569:Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925)
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158:According to J. H. Leslie, writing in
833:British Army personnel of World War I
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446:, The History Press Ltd. p. vii.
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330:Alternative names for the British
97:are still referred to as "Toms".
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295:In the children's fantasy novel
753:Lines in Praise of Tommy Atkins
706:, The History Press (Chapter 6)
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662:
607:
671:"Mr Hayden-Coffin interviewed"
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268:In 1893, for the musical play
232:be 'a regular Tommy Atkins'".
216:until the early 20th century.
16:Nickname for a British soldier
1:
545:. Harper Perennial. pp.
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21:Tommy Atkins (disambiguation)
309:plays this character in the
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7:
818:History of the British Army
350:for the Allied counterparts
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10:
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576:Routledge, London (p. 287)
298:The Indian in the Cupboard
25:
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823:Military slang and jargon
774:The last time I saw Tommy
768:Armchair General Magazine
688:British Newspaper Archive
633:British Newspaper Archive
621:Volunteer Service Gazette
526:10.1093/nq/s11-V.113.146a
205:Oxford English Dictionary
623:. 4 November 1893. P. 11
26:Not to be confused with
776:", illustrated poem by
539:Richard Holmes (2005).
45:'s trenches during the
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214:Soldier's Account Book
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117:in Lys, 13 April 1918.
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229:32nd Regiment of Foot
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175:Soldiers Account Book
153:33rd Regiment of Foot
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764:Tommy Atkins Society
744:Private Tommy Atkins
700:Weeks, Alan (2009),
678:. 8 March 1906. P. 6
430:Retrieved 2024-01-25
311:1995 film adaptation
278:Private Tommy Atkins
258:Barrack-Room Ballads
251:published the poem "
794:Imperial War Museum
616:"New Military Song"
474:Imperial War Museum
147:in 1794 during the
43:Battle of the Somme
37:"Tommies" from the
676:The Bristol Magpie
603:. 3 February 2023.
589:. 3 February 2023.
482:archive.iwm.org.uk
263:William McGonagall
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236:Popular references
181:King's Regulations
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95:Parachute Regiment
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39:Royal Irish Rifles
828:Placeholder names
518:Notes and Queries
280:for the baritone
161:Notes and Queries
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520:(113): 146.
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485:. Retrieved
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440:Laffin, John
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373:Jerry (WWII)
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318:Tommy cooker
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90:Commonwealth
70:British Army
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56:(often just
54:Tommy Atkins
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28:Tommy Adkins
428:rbli.co.uk,
402:Johnny Turk
812:Categories
728:Wikisource
408:References
378:Joe Bloggs
361:Birkenhead
301:(1980) by
170:War Office
134:N. America
398:Mehmetçik
101:Etymology
627:20 March
442:(2003).
393:Squaddie
368:Jack Tar
344:Doughboy
324:See also
799:4 April
682:8 April
654:8 April
487:4 April
286:San Toy
225:Lucknow
168:by the
130:Jamaica
68:in the
66:soldier
41:in the
553:
450:
363:(1845)
340:Digger
86:French
78:German
735:Tommy
388:Limey
383:Kraut
348:Poilu
253:Tommy
192:Tommy
62:slang
60:) is
58:Tommy
801:2013
684:2018
656:2018
629:2018
573:Army
551:ISBN
489:2013
448:ISBN
400:and
359:HMS
354:G.I.
346:and
202:The
88:and
522:doi
124:or
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547:xv
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23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
