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4 Facts About WWI You Never Knew

Writer's picture: Luigi Sonic17Luigi Sonic17
Nov 6, 20224 min read

Updated: Dec 17, 2022


Famous Poster of Uncle Sam. From the Smithsonian Magazine.


Known as the Great War or the "war to end all wars," World War I (simply known as WWI) was a devastating event in history which "took the lives of more than 9 million soldiers; 21 million more were wounded. Civilian casualties numbered close to 10 million," according to History.com. What isn't known about WWI is the amount of fascinating tidbits that very few know about. Here are some some facts about WWI you never knew.


Soldiers Were "Slinging the Bat"

Nowadays, many people use slang words like "hangry," "sup," and "mate." However, the U.S. military has been using slang ever since the American Revolution. In WWI, there were various slang words. If you sling the bat, you are speaking in slang. If you see an Australian infantry soldier, they are called diggers. If you see a conscientious objector, they are a conchie. If you see an Australian soldier, they are called Billjims since "many were named either Bill or Jim," according to Uncle John's Factastic Bathroom Reader. High-ranking officers were called Brass Hats because "they had gold-colored decorations on their caps." If you had food stains on your uniform, they were called canteen medals. Rest camps were a nickname for cemeteries, while land ships were nicknames for tanks. Pals battalions were "soldiers from the same town who trained together and served in the same units," while moaning minnies were "noisy shells fired from a German trench mortar called a minenwerfer." If you had to pump ship, you had to go number one. Cold meat tickets were the British equivalent of a dog tag ("Soldiers were issued two: if they died in battle, one was removed and the other remained with the body so that it could be identified.") If you were chin-strapped, you were "so exhausted that the only thing holding you up is the chinstrap on your helmet." (For more WWI slang, go to this website.)


A License Plate Predicted When the War Would End

It wasn't just any license plate. It was the license plate of the car where Austria-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in. (Remember, the assassination of the Archduke caused WWI to begin.) The license plate reads "Alll 118," which can reportedly be read as the Armistice Day date, which is when WWI ended.


Hitler Served in the War

Hitler (right) with two other soldiers in the German army. France, summer of 1916. From the Anne Frank House.


"At the start of the First World War, Adolf Hitler volunteered for the German army with enthusiasm," according to the Anne Frank House. He was a courier for ground troops serving on the Western Front, and won the second and first class Iron Cross for being brave in 1914 and 1918. He was also wounded by shrapnel, and became more radical after the war by entering politics.


Peanuts Referenced Brave Soldiers

Snoopy pretending to be a WWI flying ace, with his doghouse frequently called his "sopwith camel." From the Peanuts Wiki.


"Don't they realize how dangerous it is to let unauthorized kids on the runway?" A beloved Peanuts character, Snoopy the beagle often enjoys imagining that "he is fighting in World War I as a flying ace who does battle with the Red Baron," according to the Peanuts Wiki. What isn't known about his fantasy (which is one of his most recognizable alter egos) is that it is based off true stories about real men in WWI. History.com says that "these 'Knights of the Sky' went on to achieve some of the war’s most extraordinary—and often downright suicidal—feats of heroism." Famous examples are Manfred von Richthofen, known commonly as the Red Baron (who also happens to be Snoopy's nemesis in his fantasy), Eddie Rickenbacker, and Albert Ball.


Eventually, in the Peanuts franchise, a television special was released, called What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? In the special, the Peanuts gang visit a WWI battle site in Belgium. "Linus recites the World War I poem, In Flanders' Field before asking Charlie Brown if mankind has learnt anything from war," as stated by the Peanuts Wiki.


Bonus Fact: Sergeant Stubby

Picture of a taxidermized Sgt. Stubby. From the Smithsonian.


Dogs have many jobs nowadays, from being police dogs to being seizure-alert dogs to being service dogs, so it's no surprise that there are dogs in the military. One interesting example is Sergeant Stubby, a formerly stray pitbull mix who was brought into the Army after being found and named by Corporal Robert Conroy. Originally, Stubby wasn't allowed to enter the 26th Division, but Conroy brought him in anyways. Insider states that his commanding officer allowed him to keep Stubby after hearing "Conroy say “Present Arms!” He watched as Stubby brought a paw to his brow and saluted him. His heart melted." Stubby went on to serve in WWI, even becoming the first dog to earn a rank in the Army "for alerting his unit to a gas attack," according to Uncle John's Factastic Bathroom Reader. He died peacefully in 1926 (age 10), but he was taxidermized and put in display at the Smithsonian, and was honored in 2018 by an animated film titled Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero.


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