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Synopsis
One of the crucial factors that kept Tommy going on the Western Front was his ability to see what was comic in the horror, deprivation and discomfort of trench warfare – an attitude which blossomed further in the rest areas behind the lines. The nature of the comedy ranged from gentle irony to a rougher hilarity that produced full-on belly laughs. Such mirth could arise from extreme physical pain and discomfort, from the provision of food and drink and from matters relating to dress, equipment and weapons. Other sources of fun were the bizarre events that were not dissimilar to situation comedy and pantomime. Moreover, a whole culture of humour surrounded Tommy’s words and songs, and many trench animals – cats, dogs, horses, goats, even rats – were in on the joke in one way or another. And it wasn’t only the British soldiers who managed to find something to laugh about in the trenches – the Germans could sometimes see the funny side as well. Providing the same level of amusement now as it did then, A Bloody Picnic presents an unusual perspective on how soldiers coped with the grim realities of the First World War.
ALAN WEEKS is a retired history teacher, who still works part time as a history advisor to schools. He has written a number of school textbooks, including histories of the First and Second World Wars, and is the author of Tea, Rum & Fags: Sustaining Tommy, 1914–18. He lives in Hastings.
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