Old Bill

The first time I glimpsed my eyes on the figure of Ole Bill was last Summer at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth Road, London. I was there because my boyfriend is into everything and anything related to the war, especially WWII; from the technologies and weapons used, to the uniforms and propaganda (I assure you he isn't a fanatic who sleeps caressing a gun under the blankets...well, never checked, I hope so though!). He's just keen to learn about history. To be honest, I didn't really share this interest of his, but after the visit I found that the museum wasn't boring as I had expected it to be, and there were an array of interesting things to admire and learn about. 

The Imperial War Museum of London is part of five museums, disbursed in different venues in London and England. These museums are dedicated to all aspects of the wars of the past century (anyone remember the “big boat” on the Thames? It's the HMS Belfast, a former light cruiser which is now part of this group of museums).

The Imperial War Museum is located in the building of the former Bethlem Royal Hospital. When we entered the main hall we came face to face with a range of war vehicles, planes and cannons from the two World Wars. To cut a long story short, one of these vehicles was an old bus, the Ole Bill bus.

I was immediately charmed by its old design and style and by some of the details on the vehicle. It was one of the B43 buses requisitioned from public service and used during the First World War as a vehicle for transporting troops to the front-line. Once the buses reached the French front, they were repainted with camouflage colours and used for military purposes (for transportation, as ambulances and even as mobile pigeon lofts). When the war ended, the buses were repurchased by transport companies and reused for public services. 

The bus you see in the museum was used on the London bus routes 8 and 9 until 1920 when it was bought by the Auxiliary Omnibus Companies Association. The new owners refurbished it as a memorial to the buses used during the First World War, and they renamed it “Old Bill” as the famous wartime cartoon character created by Bruce Bairnsfather. So on the front of the vehicle you can see the little head of the cartoon character with the helmet on!

 

Old Bill was very popular during the war period, especially for those troops that relied on him as a morale booster. The cartoon character was an old man with a big moustache and a pipe always in his mouth. In the stories about him, he is always accompanied by Alphie, a young troop mate.

The creator and author, Bruce Bairnfather, choose to set the stories on the war front because he was a soldier himself during the conflict. Coming from a family of soldiers, he tried, but failed to join military academes, therefore he joined an infantry regiment from which he resigned in 1907 to pursue art studies. But, when the First World War broke out he rejoined the army and fought in France until he was hospitalised for an injury. I'm saying all this because it was thanks to that time that he spent in the hospital that he created the series. The series was published on the tabloid Bystander that spoke about life on the front, the series that included the figure of Old Bill.

Visit the Imperial War Musuem at http://www.iwm.org.uk/

Check out Old Bill Historic Transport at http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=359