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In this section, you can find several contemporary accounts of the story behind the Wipers Times. Originally, some of these accounts appeared as part of the Staff, Suspects, and Witnesses post. As the number of accounts has grown, they have been moved to their own post for the sake of clarity. Note that the Sergeant …
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In 2025, Talbot House obtained the original proof copies of the Wipers, which were once owned by Frederick Roberts. At the time of writing, they have been republishing the issues and sending them out via subscription on the original dates they were published. I was privileged and honoured to be asked to write the …
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Part of my PhD research involves scanning through some 70,000 newspaper articles that contain the phrase 'Tommy Atkins' between 1896 and 1926 to identify articles relevant to my thesis. I have written software to aid in this, as well as utilising a stream deck (a Godsend!) — and I even have a pedal underneath my desk …
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At a talk I gave on my research into the Wipers Times back in June 2024, I mentioned the journal the Red Feather, the regimental magazine of the 6th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry (DCLI). I was pleasantly surprised when it came up in the questions after the talk, as, in my opinion — although there …
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‘The Bridge Across the Stream’ was originally published in the 1917 Blighty Christmas Special. The lyrics were written by J.E. MacManus (1862-1921) — Blighty's editor, who, before the war, had written lyrics for several music hall songs, often in collaboration with the actor and singer Leo Stormont (1860-1923). They …
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In terms of surviving, processing and enduring the environment that Tommy Atkins faced during the war, humour played a vital role, one which should never be undervalued for its contribution. Lord Moran (1882-1977), President of the Royal College of Physicians, Winston Churchill's personal doctor, and author of The …
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I mentioned in the Staff, Suspects and Witness post that I was at something of an impasse regarding researching Dorothy Violet Hall. While I had fragments of information, there wasn't really enough to form more than a fragmented sentence here and there. I received an email in October 2023 from Richard Sheppard, a …
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This was originally one of my essays written as part of my master's degree at the University of Wolverhampton, and I am posting it here for two reasons: First, the subject of propaganda during the First World War has arisen in previous articles on this site, and I have several future articles in the pipeline that will …
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In my last piece, about the Printer and the Presses , I mentioned that I had come across a signpost in the second to last issue of the Wipers,now named the Better Times, in relation to the printing of the final two issues. This was the signpost: Our new paper is born in very different circumstances to the old Wipers …
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Note to Readers: 15 January 2026. I have been asked to write the commentary for the 2026 reprints of The Wipers Times for Talbot House. As a result, new information and additional details relating to George Turner have been uncovered. This article will be updated in due course; however, readers should note that the …
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