Old Contemptibles

[margaret sheridan]

Hi there,

Could someone please explain what "Old Contemptibles" were ??

I understand they were an expeditionary force.

Any advice or help much appreciated

Kindest Regards

Margaret

[SOMMESOLDIER]

Hi Margaret,

This is where they get their name from.

Quote from the book, The Old Contemptibles :- The survivors of the BEF took their courious nickname from the Kaiser's orders, allegedley issued at Aix-en-Chapelle on 19 August 1914: 'It is my Royal and Imperial command that you exterminate the treacherous English and march over General French's contemptible little army'.

So we took it from that 'The Old Contemptibles'.

Cheers

Tim

[Landsturm]

from First World War.Com:

The name self-adopted by British troops belonging to the regular army in 1914, the term was supposedly derived from a comment made by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II.

The Kaiser, upon hearing that German forces were being held up in France while en route to the French capital, is said to have exclaimed his exasperation of "Sir John French's contemptible little army"

The Kaiser's comment may have stemmed from anxiety surrounding execution of the German Schlieffen Plan designed to knock France out of the war within six weeks of its inception, as well as reflecting his opinion of the size of Britain's pre-war regular army (which was rather smaller than the major continental armies). Any delay to the German Army's progress was therefore of concern.

Interestingly the term is also said to origin from a mistranslation of a letter from the Kaiser to the commander of the German First Army Alexander von Kluck, in which he supposedly wrote: "It is my Royal and Imperial command that you concentrate your energies for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address your skill and all the valour of my soldiers to exterminate the treacherous English, and walk over French’s contemptibly small army."

Whatever the actual origin the British regulars were delighted thereafter to be referred to as 'The Old Contemptibles' and named their post-war veterans' association accordingly.

[Will O'Brien]

Margaret..............The 'Old Contemptibles' was a name coined for the original members of the British Expeditionary Force who landed in France upon the outbreak of the war in 1914..........The phrase supposedly comes from comments made by the Kaiser when he described the British forces as 'a contemptible little army'...............Whether the Kaiser actually made this comment or whether this is apocryphal I don't know, but the nickname certainly stuck & was I believe self given by the army.

.......Oops, Tim & Landstrum must type quicker than me.....

Edited 4 January , 2005 by Will O'Brien

[truthergw]

I believe that The Old Contemptibles were the troops who were sent to France at the outbreak of the war. They were all regulars. They got their nickname from the alleged description of them as being " a contemptible little army". This is now thought to be a newspaper invention. Neither the first nor the last. After the war, there were social clubs for ex-servicemen called "the Old Contemptibles". These lasted many years and outlived their original founders. The one in my hometown was still going strong in the '60s.

[margaret sheridan]

Many thanks for all your help - it is very much appreciated

Best Wishes,

Margaret