Service Newspapers of World War Two: Raising morale one moustache at a time

One of the most common remarks about life as a soldier in World War Two, from those who experienced it first-hand, is that when you weren’t scared stiff you were bored to death. For many, the episodes of fighting were interspersed with long and tedious months of waiting around for orders, or being shipped to and fro between different bases, wondering what was coming next.

Maintaining the men’s morale was a vital aspect of war administration. Bored men had more time to be scared. Scared men became rebellious or inefficient. Not good for the war effort. A large part of keeping the boys entertained was good old-fashioned journalism, and that is the subject of AM’s collection, Service Newspapers of World War Two

When exploring these wonderful papers, it’s interesting to see what has changed sice the end of the war, and what has essentially stayed the same. One similarity is the spectrum of styles on offer. In the Service Newspapers collection there are high-brow Spectator-type titles, providing top news stories, interviews with war heroes, and the latest cricket scores.

 And there are more cheeky, men's magazine titles, with the usual complement of bawdy jokes, photos of scantily-clad film stars and cartoons poking fun at figures in authority.

But some things feel very different. With a few notable exceptions, the newspapers are mostly written by men for men and as such they are definitely products of their time. In a patriarchal society at the height of the British Empire, certain members of society are often broadsided: women, the working class, ethnic minorities.

One difference that jumposmout is the gentler, slower way of writing in the war-time titles. Despite the tumultuous events going on across the world, small and apparently inconsequential details are deemed to be worth mentioning. There is a sense of people having more time and inclination to pay attention to the little things in life. 

One of my favourite articles that demonstrates this is from a 1945 issue of the Polar Bear News, a publication for the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division stationed in Iceland and Norway. The article exalts L/Bdr. ‘Farmer’ Williams, formerly of 62nd Anti-Tank Regt., R.A., as the serviceman with the best moustache in the division.

Something so simple, but so funny. The sort of thing you might see in a village newsletter, something so everyday and un-war-like. A reassuring and nostalgic nod to life before 1939, when maintaining the size and condition of one’s moustache was an innocent pastime for one’s leisure hours. For the men reading these papers, it was a little piece of normality - the perfect antidote, perhaps, to feeling the weight of a world war upon your shoulders. 

For more information about Service Newspapers of World War Two, including pricing, please request a demo.