If you are a NWKFHS member, please login, if not, please join today.

If you are a NWKFHS member, please login, if not, please join today.

Font size: +
Featured

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred and one of your family ancestors

Three of the WW! British campaign medals, the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal are affectionately known as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. These medals were primarily awarded to the Old Contemptibles members of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.). and by convention all three medals are worn together and in the same order from left to right when viewed from the front. The set of three medals or at least the British War Medal and the Victory Medal are the most likely medals to be found among family heirlooms.

When the WW1 medals were issued in the 1920's it coincided with a popular comic strip published by the Daily Mirror newspaper. It was written by Bertram J. Lamb (Uncle Dick), and drawn by the cartoonist Austin Bowen Payne (A.B. Payne). Pip was the dog, Squeak the penguin and Wilfred the young rabbit. It is believed that A. B. Payne's batman during the war had been nicknamed "Pip-squeak" and this is where the idea for the names of the dog and penguin came from. For some reason the three names of the characters became associated with the three campaign medals being issued at that time to many thousands of returning servicemen, and they stuck.

Pip Squeak and Wilfred source is

The Long Long Trail

www.longlongtrail.co.uk 

Who was Tommy Atkins?
Were Mutt and Jeff in your family?

Related Posts