Class was often a basis for humour in Punch cartoons a hundred year ago.
Cartoon by Lewis Baumer
Published in Punch 28th October 1914
Cartoon by G. D. Armour
Published in Punch 28th October 1914
Tag Archives: Boer War
Punch Cartoons 41
It is said that the situation shown in this first Punch cartoon was an actual one. According to a BBC article, “It didn’t help that recruitment officers were paid two shillings and sixpence (about £6 in today’s money) for each new recruit, and would often turn a blind eye to any concern they had about age… The rule of thumb seemed to be if the volunteer wanted to fight for his country and was physically fit enough to do so, why stop him? …
“But it wasn’t just in recruitment offices. The whole of society seemed to be complicit in sending these boys abroad to fight. Parents, headmasters, even MPs helped get underage lads into the army.There was collusion on all sides to get these boys and young men into the armed forces. Yet most people (including recruitment staff and parents) would have assumed the war would be over before any of them were ready to go overseas.”
Cartoon by S Briault
Published in Punch 7th October 1914
These are two other cartoons from the same issue:
Cartoon by Chas Grave
Published in Punch 7th October 1914
Cartoon by E H Shepard
Published in Punch 7th October 1914
The Humour of the Great War 