Our first talk of the new season was held in Milton Village Hall on Wednesday 10th September.
We welcomed Stephen Barker, who offered what was for most of us, a unique view of life for the soldiers of the First World War.
Upwards of 50 members appreciated a fine multi-media presentation, which included Stephen’s fascinating commentaries around a set of amusing and incisively satirical contemporary postcards.
More About the Talk
Soldiers often turned to humour to alleviate the stress of life in the trenches. Jokes, puns, and satirical songs were a part of the soldiers’ oral culture. Much of the humour was lost on those outside the soldiers’ group, but it resonated with the soldiers and allowed them to cope with the strain of service and combat.
Stephen’s presentation took a light-hearted look at trench humour in slang, in tunes and cartoons – plus satirical journals and concert parties. Humour around the subjects – including joining up, training, officers and men, jibes at the enemy, and the view of war through “Old Bill” – were all illustrated in contemporary cartoons and images.
Stephen’s rendition of a hilarious episode featuring the strictly Presbyterian General Haig and a column of particularly expressive marching men drew much laughter and warm applause from the group.
This was most definitely an alternative view of war, and what came across quite emphatically was that the participants of the time did not see themselves as victims. Use of irony and bawdy humour, coupled with a sense of detachment, gave soldiers an element of control in the face of extraordinary pressure.
About Stephen Barker
Stephen is an independent Heritage Advisor who works with museums, universities, and other heritage organisations to design exhibitions and make funding applications. He worked at Banbury Museum, the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum amongst others.
Stephen has delivered projects for various universities including Birmingham and Oxford. He delivers presentations and tours related to the First World War and British Civil Wars. He is a Trustee of the Bucks Military Museum Trust and is an Arts Council Museum Mentor. He is the author of ‘The 8th East Lancs in the Great War’ and ‘The Flying Sikh: Hardit Singh Malik’.
Find out more about Stephen Barker >> here
Next Talk – A history of what the English have eaten >>>
