The Comic Cards of Donald McGill and Douglas Tempest in World War One

Peter Tucker compares these two giants of the comic postcard scene

(Originally published in Picture Postcard Annual 1996)

(Reproduced by kind permission.)

9 Songs and Parodies

"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
And smile, smile, smile
While you've a lucifer to light your fag,
Smile boys that's the style,
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worth while,
so..."
This is one of the most enduring songs of the First World War and it reflected the resolute nature of the British soldier. Whenever a group of people get together in revelry or adversity they invariably burst into song. This helps lighten the spirit and strengthens camaraderie. Many songs from World War One have stood the test of time and can still be heard sung today in pubs and on coach trips. Some of the most popular were, "It's a long way to Tipperary", "Keep the home fires burning", "There's a long trail awinding" and "Good-bye-ee". For serving men these popular songs elevated them on long route marches and gave expression to their feelings. Although the tunes were adhered to, the words were often changed, sometimes in a very bawdy way. In the main there were two types of popular song, patriotic and sentimental, which could be rousing, mellow or resolute. Most had simply lyrics and could be quite repetitive like the prophetic "We're her, because we're here, because we're here, because we're here. .." or the resigned "Raining, raining, raining, always b.. well raining." This was sung to the tune of 'Holy, Holy, Holy'.

Picture postcard publishers soon produced cards featuring the words from these popular songs, accompanied by a picture to illustrate them. Bamforth and Go. were the leaders in this field, using photographs of posed models. Tempest in turn used song titles or a play on the words to make drawings from. McGill did likewise, most notably with "Good-bye-ee around which he made several designs. The one shown here, "Comique" series no. 2329, features those children acting as adults again. A companion card depicts a little sailor boy and girlfriend on 'Comique'series no.2446. In 'There's a long, long trail a winding. .." "Comique" series no.1973, McGill draws a happy Scotsman wending his way home through the snow from the pub. Tempest also made several designs around this song, the one shown here depicts a long trail of German prisoners who are singing another popular war song (Take me back to dear old blighty). Note the comical way they are walking so close that they are bumping into each other.