"Shameful nicknames" Topic

We all know of unit nicknames given to reflect some act of glory. Napoleon's 84th of the Line called 'Un contre dix' for example.
But how about nicknames given to show a lapse in military virtue?
I was reading of the Eleventh Corps in the ACW at Chancellorsville called the 'Flying Dutchmen' after the largely German regiment ran without firing a shot when attacked by Jackson.
Any others?

Hmm, well the US 8th Airforce was referred to as 'The American Luftwaffe,' due to its tendency to hit US troops when called in to support the groundpounders. An example of this was the beginning of Operation Cobra, where the bombing shortfall killed the head of US Ground Forces, Les McNair.

Robert Graves notes in his WW1 memoir 'Goodby to all That,' that the Bedfordshire regiment was known as 'the peacemakers,' due to the lack of battle honors won by the regiment. Of course, he was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, so I'm sure he felt the right to look down on all other regiments.

Not a unit, but one version of the origin of Jackson's nickname was less than flattering. "There stands Jackson like a stone wall" may have referred to a lack of action, not nerves of steel.

There was also the entire 'D-Day Dodgers' nickname for the troops fighting in Italy. Although it was more ironic than shameful, I suppose.

The 29th Foot (Worcestershire Regt): The Vein Openers, allegedly bestowed upon them for their part in the 'Boston Massacre'. On the up side they also had the soubriquet, the 'ever sworded 29th' in recognition of beating off an Indian attack, it became a regimental custom for officers to wear swords at mess.

Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard: The Royal Scots, in part a reference to being senior regiment of the line.

In contrast to Stonewall Jackson, there was another Confederate general nicknamed Mudwall Jackson.

I believe it was the Ninth Air Force that was called "the American Luftwaffe", since they did most of the tactical air support for the ground forces in Europe.

I did most of my second tour in Vietnam with the Americal Division, universally known as "The Babykillers" because it included the unit involved in the My Lai massacre.

LT

In the ACW, various large (12-company, unbloodied) Union regiments of heavy artillery that Grant pulled out of their cozy garrison billets and made serve as infantry in 1864 were known derisively by the "real" infantry, because of their large size, probably, as "heavy infantry." Some of them did quite well, though.

From wiki (for what that is worth)

The term was publicized by British Member of Parliament Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, who used the expression in public after a disillusioned serviceman in Italy signed a letter to her as being from a "D-Day Dodger." Astor mistakenly thought the phrase was a nickname with positive connotations, as the term Desert Rats had been in 1942. In reality the reference was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "Dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was thus a reference to someone who was somehow avoiding "real" combat by serving in Italy.

I knew Astor used the phrase, though I understood she meant it as an insult, and caused much anger due to the fact she had no idea how hard the fighting was, and thought the troops were having an easy time.

Don't forget- "The Big Dead One" (an insult aimed at the 1st US Div – The Big Red One)

Plenty of individual commanders got insulting nicknames, 'Butcher' Mangin and 'Panzer Killer' Lang are two which spring to mind.

During WWI the American 6th Infantry division was known as "the sight seeing 6th", because they moved around so much without seeing any real fighting.

General Jubilation T. Cornpone of the Confederacy was well-known for having numerous unflattering nicknames. Here's a few:

"Toot your own horn" 'pone
ol' "Tattered and torn" 'pone
ol' "September morn" 'pone
"Unshaven and shorn" 'pone
ol' "Treat 'em with scorn" 'pone
ol' "Wouldn't be sworn" 'pone
ol' "Paper mache" 'pone
"Passed out until morn" 'pone
ol' "Weary and worn" 'pone

Battles named after him:

Cornpone's disaster
Cornpone's misjudgement
Cornpone's catastrophe
Cornpone's humiliation

I can think of a few units that adopted the insult as a badge of honor. The Dutch Sea Beggers, in response to a Spanish insult, and the Huguenot Miller cavalry.

Lyrics to D-Day Dodgers, sung to the tune of Lili Malene:
link
There was a Youtube performance by the Clancy Brothers, but I can't find it now.

In Vietnam the 101st Division had two memorable unflattering nicknames – the "Hundred and Worst" and the "Jumping Junkies" which was a hit on their elite status and their supposedly rampant drug useage.

Oh Americal Division was known after the My Lai massacre as the "Americalley Division" after the Lt who got scapegoated with that action.

Tellingly enough as AF I was never told to never mention these nicknames within ear shot of members of the 23rd or 101st, the assumption being their troops were too utterly demoralized to argue the point!!

Oh Mark Russell once did a clever bit about the Indiana PR unit the Indiana NG formed to keep the sons of certain well-connected Indianiana residents like Vice President Dan Quayle out of "1A" draft status. It was called "He Fought the War in Indiana" and sung to the tune of "Back Home Again In Indiana,"

Homer Simpson description of the French: "Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys?"

That was Groundskeeper Willie.

During the Great War the Army Service Corps was known as "Ally Sloper's Cavalry". Ally Sloper was one of the earliest comic strip characters, dating from the 19thC, and was a shiftless schemer.

The Royal Army Medical Corps was (rather unfairly) known as Rob All My Comrades.

Control Commission Germany, formed at the end of WWII, were known as Charlie Chaplin's Grenadiers.

Inns of Court Regiment called the Devils Own as only the devil would have a regiment of lawyers.

Robert Graves also mentions that it could be severely unhealthy to ask for a "broken square" rather than a "pig's ear" (rhyming slang for beer) if in the presence of the Black Watch.

Referring to the K.O.Y.L.I as "coyly" or K.O.S.B. as "cosby" is also ill-advised.

When the Wehrmacht was streaming backward over the Rhine bridges after the collapse of the western front in Sept.44, the WL plates of the Luftwaffe vehicles (Wehrmacht Luftwaffe) were transcripted by the civilian population into "wir laufen" means "we´re running".

I once watched Frank Chadwick nearly get attacked when discussing the "Pogy-Bait Marines" at a convention.

Loren Wiseman
lorenwiseman.com
irbw.com
link

"The Royal Army Medical Corps was (rather unfairly) known as Rob All My Comrades."

Also as "Run Awat, Matron's Coming" and "The Linseed Lancers" and "The Poultice Wallopers".

I have also seen references in ACW literature to "Fly Slicers" (referring to cavalry).

US 28th Division had a red "keystone" as their badge (they hail from the keystone state) – they took such a pounding in the Hurtgen Forest – they gained the name "Bloody Buckets" – a keystone looks a bit like an upturned bucket!

The Highland Division got into the habit of painting large HD on anything they captured or passed through after Normandy – other regiments began to refer to them as the "Highway Decorators" :-)

What about paratroopers being refered to as "Umberella Danglers" or cavalry as "Donkey Wallopers".

On individuals, one of the most famous – though the origin is virtually forgotten – is 'The Grand Old Duke Of York' who has a children's song in his honour.

Can't remember his details myself – vague recollections that he was on some battlefield and couldn't make his mind up, so he kept moving his troops all over the place without having any effect on the battle.

The British Home Guard, originally called the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) were known as "Look, Duck, Vanish."

Queens Lancashire regiment (QLR) – Quick lets run.

USA 106th Division, wrecked by the Germans during the Buldge, according to my Uncle, who was there, was referred to as "The Hungry and sick" division.

The Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (Munster) of the German Bundeswehr was dubbed Schauspieltruppe des Heeres (Army's troupe of actors) because of the many presentations they performed for visiting politician.

Ulenspiegel

Perhaps my favourite unfair nickname is for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) – which is sometimes known as Ruin Everything Mechanical Eventually. I think their unofficial motto is along the lines of 'looks complicated, needs a bigger hammer'.

I think the Royal Army Service Corps was also translated into Run Away Someone's Coming.

The Welsh Guards are sometimes referred to as the Foreign Legion by the rest of the Guards Brigade (not even being a century old until 2015). The Devonshire and Dorsets used to say their DD abbreviation stood for Death and Destruction, while the rest of the Army reckoned it was Daft and Dozy.

And I think the South Vietnamese LLDB units (something akin to a reserve outfit?) were christened Look Long, Duck Back.

* The above does not necessarily represent the views of the author, but might raise a smile at least!

I've heard "King's Dancing Girls" used for the King's Dragoon Guards.

As I recall, the Royal Indian Army Service Corps was Really I Am So Common, owing to the numbers of not-quite-gentlemanly officers holding commissions.

The Army Catering Corps is known in the British Army as Andy Caps Commandos!!

I always liked the nickname given to the 82nd Airborne when they were driven into Kuwait after Desert Storm. "Death From Above" became "Death From a Bus."

My dad was in the Royal Army Pay Corps, known amongst his fellows as Robbers, Accountants, Pick-Pockets and Con-Men.

He spent most of his two-year NS working for a fellow southern Irishman (a Major General Rooney) and the two of them were in charge of the entire British Army payroll!

And the RNAS of the Royal Naval Air Service in the First World War was said to stand for 'Really Not A Sailor'! In the 19th Century there was a Scottish regiment known as the 'Paisley Grey Breeks' due the large number of ex-cons from the prison in Paisley where the uniform for prisoners was grey. (It may have been the predecessors of the KOSB but I cannot be sure.)

Also for the REME,
Royal Engineers minus education.

In the opening phases of the Gallipoli campaign the Royal Marine Light Infantry were rechristened "Run My Lads, Imshi!" by the Anzacs.

Great topic.

Was it Clemenceau who called the expeditionary forces in Greece the "Gardeners of Salonika"?

The U.S. 3rd Armored Division has the nickname "Spearhead"; the soldiers say "Where the spearhead goes, the shaft will follow".

IIRC The English 21st Lancers had never been in action prior to going to the Sudan in 1898-they joked in the army that their regimental motto was 'thou shalt not kill'.

Because they were so eager to see action they made their reckless charge at Omdurman 'charge of the light brigade' style-Winston Churchill was with the 21st, but on detachment from the more prestigious 5th Hussars

Not a nick, but the way Engineers see the artillery. Both have the motto 'Ubique'. The Royal Engineers maintain that for them this means "Everywhere", but for the artillery its "All over the place". I once heard the last part (the artillery) being quoted behind me, and I turned said "You an Engineer?- the guy was pleased and impressed I knew!

Not WWII, but we used to look down upon anyone not combat arms as a REMF which stood for "rear echelon mother ers" (I assume that will be bleeped). As armour corps, we were derisevly known as zipperheads (our issue combat cloths for armoured vehicles were coveralls with zippers), though many of us took this as our own proud nickname.

The Royal Canadian Regiment, which was the regiment from which came the infantry battlions I worked with most, has a initial of RCR. We would often translate that to "run chicken run", based on stories (which I never believed, but like all soldiers, experienced as persistent rumour) of an unfortunate chicken allegedly sexually molested in Cyprus.

They were and are one of the finest regiment of soldiers in the world, BTW, despite the myriad times we yelled chicken insults as we roared past their marching columns, trying to churn up as much road dust for them as possible.

I used to have an affiliation with the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. The QOR on badges, etc. was said to stand for " Quickest out of Ridgeway!" A reference to their flight form sid battle in the Fenian Raids.

Again, as I recall, it was the Highland Light Infantry that the *other* Highland regiments called the "Glasgow Keelies" (lowlifes, thugs, etc.), which nickname the HLI adopted with pride.

I'm not sure this counts, because the germans nicknamed the 101st and 82nd airborne troops "Butchers with big pockets". I suppose because of their large airborne-issue knives which they used to dispatch jerries, and the big side pockets on their jump pants. Also, I read that they wouldn't often take german prisoners, as they had no-one to hand them off to, and the fighting they were often involved in was so vicious.

I am always amused by the Royal Horse Guards being known as the "Cheesemongers" because their officers were all social-climbing tradesmen rather than proper gentlemen.

I seem to recall some kilted regiments, during WW2, being called "The Ladies From Hell" by the Germans.

Calling the PPCLI "Princess Pats" doesn't go over very well, either.

Another term for the 101st I've heard is "Puking Buzzards," but that may be of more recent vintage.

Sepp Dietrich also came up with a good one for 6th Panzer Army--he supposedly said "We're called 6th Panzer Army because we only have 6 panzers…"

"Not a nick, but the way Engineers see the artillery. Both have the motto 'Ubique'. The Royal Engineers maintain that for them this means "Everywhere", but for the artillery its "All over the place". I once heard the last part (the artillery) being quoted behind me, and I turned said "You an Engineer?- the guy was pleased and impressed I knew!"

sorry, Hussar, old chap, but for the RA it's not a motto, it's our battle honour. The Gunner's motto is "Quo fas et Gloria Ducunt"! :-)

Another case from the ACW: On the night of 29-30 Nov 1863 Union forces were marching north thru Spring Hill, TN. Confederate forces had botched Gen. Hood's intention of cutting the road at that point, but were bivouacked very near the road as the Federals marched past in the dark. A green Federal unit, the 40th Missouri, made a lot of noise as it marched by and was fired on by the Rebels, and the Missourians hit the dirt in the middle of the road, potentially blocking the rest of the Union column, so the next Federal unit, the veteran 13th Ohio, just marched right over them. From then on the green regiment was known by the rest of their devision as the "40th Misery."