Warwick museum hosting talk on famous First World War cartoonist Captain Bruce Bairnsfather

The talk about Capt Bairnsfather (1887-1959) is taking place on Saturday (October 5) at 2pm and will be given by researcher and writer Mark Warby.

Mark has spent more than 40 years researching Bairnsfather's life and work, and his talk is one of the events organised to mark the 350th anniversary of the Warwickshire Regiment this month.

During the First World War, Bruce Bairnsfather, a young officer serving with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, became famous for his Fragments from France cartoons depicting life at the Front, and as creator of Old Bill, the walrus-moustached Tommy who appeared in many of his drawings, published weekly in “The Bystander” magazine from 1915.

Published collections of Bairnsfather’s cartoons sold over a million copies, and his drawings were reproduced on a wide range of merchandise.

Old Bill appeared in books, plays and films, remaining popular right through to WWII.

Speaking about the event, Mark said: “My talk will highlight Bruce Bairnsfather’s strong links with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment – from his time with the 5th (Militia) Battalion in 1907 through to WW1 when he served as Machine Gun Officer with the 1st Battalion in France and Belgium from November 1914 until being wounded at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.

“I’ll look at how he went from drawing humorous charcoal sketches on the walls of a shelled-out cottage barely 80 yards from the enemy to becoming the star contributor to The Bystander, his cartoons propelling him to worldwide fame.

"And I’ll tell the real story behind his famous character Old Bill, and how his “better ‘ole” cartoon became one of the most well-known cartoons of the 20th century.

“There will also be an insight into his forty-year career as a cartoonist, lecturer, playwright, vaudeville and variety act and early star of BBC television, all which took him and Old Bill on adventures from London to America, Japan and many places in between.”

Tickets cost £6 and are available at the museum’s website: https://fusiliermuseumwarwick.com/ or online via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bruce-bairnsfather-old-bill-and-the-royal-warwickshire-regiment-tickets-869316889217?aff=ebdssbdestsearch