Bruce Bairnsfather facts for kids

Photo of the author, 1918, by Pirie MacDonald

Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (born July 9, 1887 – died September 29, 1959) was a well-known British humorist and cartoonist. He is most famous for creating the cartoon character Old Bill. Old Bill, along with his friends Bert and Alf, appeared in Bairnsfather's weekly "Fragments from France" cartoons. These were published in The Bystander magazine during the First World War.

Early Life and Art

Bruce Bairnsfather was born in Murree, British India (which is now Pakistan). He moved to England in 1895 to go to school. He first thought about becoming a soldier, but he didn't pass the entrance exams for military academies. Instead, he joined the Cheshire Regiment.

In 1907, he left the army to become an artist. He studied at the John Hassall School of Art. At first, he didn't have much success and worked as an electrical engineer. This job led him to meet important people who helped him get commissions. He started drawing advertisements for products like Lipton tea and Player's cigarettes.

Serving in World War I

"Well, if you knows of a better 'ole, go to it", Bairnsfather's best-known cartoon, 1915

"Old Bill", from Bullets & Billets: "First Discovered in the Alluvial Deposits of Southern Flanders. Feeds Almost Exclusively on Jam and Water Biscuits. Hobby: Filling Sandbags, on Dark and Rainy Nights".

In 1914, Bairnsfather joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as an officer. He served with a machine gun unit in France until 1915. He was then sent to the hospital because of the stress and loud noises from the war, which affected his hearing.

While recovering, he started drawing his funny cartoons for The Bystander magazine. These cartoons showed what life was like in the trenches. His main character was "Old Bill," a grumpy soldier with a big walrus moustache and a balaclava. One of his most famous cartoons shows Old Bill and another soldier in a muddy shell hole with bombs exploding nearby. The other soldier is complaining, and Old Bill calmly says:

Well, If you knows of a better 'ole, go to it.

Many of his cartoons from this time were put into books like Fragments From France (1914) and his autobiography Bullets & Billets (1916). Even though some people didn't like the "vulgar" style at first, the cartoons became hugely popular with the soldiers. They helped boost morale, and Bairnsfather was asked to draw similar cartoons for other Allied forces.

Life After the Wars

After the First World War, "Old Bill" and Bruce Bairnsfather remained very popular. Many police officers at the time had similar moustaches, which might be why British police were sometimes called The Old Bill.

Bairnsfather was involved in early films and even directed a Canadian film called Carry On Sergeant in 1928. He also appeared on early television broadcasts in 1936. Old Bill appeared in many books, plays, musicals, and films. Bairnsfather's own life story, Wide Canvas, was published in 1939.

When the Second World War began, Bairnsfather continued to draw Old Bill. He became the official cartoonist for American forces in Europe, drawing for newspapers like Stars and Stripes and Yank. He also drew cartoons at American bases and even on the noses of aircraft. His work influenced other famous cartoonists like Bill Mauldin.

Later in life, Bairnsfather was mostly known for Old Bill. He died in 1959 in Worcester.

"The Growth of Democracy" by Bruce Bairnsfather (1917). "Colonel Sir Valtravers Plantagenet gladly accepts a light, during a slight lull in a barrage, from a private in the Benin Rifles".

Legacy and Remembrance

Bruce Bairnsfather is remembered in several places. A special blue plaque is on one of his old studios in London. This plaque was put there by Tonie and Valmai Holt, who also wrote a book about Bairnsfather's life. They also sponsored a memorial plaque on a cottage in Belgium where Bairnsfather drew his first trench cartoons.

Another plaque honoring Bruce Bairnsfather was put up at his former home in Stratford upon Avon in 2005. This was organized by Mark Warby, who edits The Old Bill Newsletter for Bairnsfather fans.

In 2011, a plaque was unveiled in Colwall, Worcestershire, where Bairnsfather lived for a few years. He was well-known at the local British Legion Club there.

At the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, the cadet pub is named "Bill & Alphie's" after Bairnsfather's cartoon characters. There are also sculptures of Bill and Alphie at the college. A large mural drawn on a wall in the Royal British Legion Victory House Club in Ludlow, Shropshire, also features his work.

Filmography

• The Better 'Ole Welsh-Pearson Films (1918)
• Old Bill Through the Ages Ideal Films (1924) – he appeared in this film
• The Better 'Ole Warner Bros (1926)
• Old Bill's Christmas RKO (1930)
• Old Bill & Son Legeran Films (1941)