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Print Collection 12: The Trench Newspapers
"Have you ever sat in a trench in the middle of a battle and corrected proofs? Try it," wrote Captain F. J. Roberts, editor of the British trench newspaper The Wipers Times. The same combination of bitterness and humor in Roberts' words can be found in the hundreds of makeshift newspapers published by soldiers like Roberts during the war.
The improvised newsletters known as trench papers came about in part as a reaction to war reporting that reached the trenches from home. Official journalism often struck soldiers as inappropriate, since the controlled and self-censored press tended to produce confident, optimistic accounts that frequently misrepresented the war to home-front readers. In creating their own narratives of the war, soldiers saw a chance to satirize the press and to relieve the frustrations and fears that it brushed under the rug.
Trench newspapers were common in regiments across Europe. One hundred British papers and more than four hundred French ones are known to have been published. While some were simple penciled sheets reproduced with carbon paper, others were many-page publications made with printing presses, which soldiers sometimes came upon in the war-torn towns of France and Belgium. The Wipers Times, which appeared at different stages in its two-year history as The Kemmel Times, The Somme Times, The B.E.F. Times, and, after armistice, The Better Times, was made on a press found near Ypres (hence the paper's original name, a British mispronunciation of Ypres), which was later taken with the unit (the Twelfth Battalion Sherwood Foresters) when it moved. Due in part to a shortage of vowels in the type, only one page could be printed at a time, and issues were printed in editions of 100 or 200 copies. Their production was also constrained by the perpetual menace of bombardment. In the words of Captain Roberts, the paper was "produced when the air was generally full of shells... Often one had to stop writing an article in order to 'stand to.'"
The content of individual papers came from within the unit, inspired by daily events and inside jokes. Political satire was common, as were reviews of real and fictitious events, sham advertisements (for example, a "Cure for Optimism"), complaints and serialized stories. While these papers were most often intended for consumption within a single unit, they occasionally turned up far from the frontlines. In 1916, one issue of French trench paper Le Poilu du 37e was sold at a charity event in Boston for fifty francs.
The collection includes more than a hundred French trench papers (such as Le Pépère and Le Héraut) as well as newspapers in English and Arabic and German newspapers distributed as propaganda among Allied troops (such as America in Europe). See more about the trench papers in the Collection.Call number | Title | Artists and Authors | Date | Size (cm) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
XS-012 | Hommage de Reconnaissance... | Pierre Chauvallon, Maurice Vannereau | 1917 | 27.5 x 37.5 | Publication dedicated to American benefactors of the Red Cross |
XS-019 | Le Pépère | Jean Bastia, Andre Dahl et al. | Apr. 21, 1916 | 25.8 x 33.6 | French trench paper, 359th Infantry Regiment, Easter issue |
XS-020 | L'Esprit du Cor | A. Roubille, Albert Vuillemot, Fernand Pastoul, E. Loeber, M. Radiguet | Jul. 10, 1917 | 29.5 x 37 | French trench paper, 66th Division |
XS-070 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Sept. 15, 1915 | 20.1 x 30 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-071 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Oct. 15, 1915 | 20.1 x 30 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-072 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Nov. 1, 1915 | 20.3 x 30.2 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-073 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Nov. 15, 1915 | 20 x 30.2 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-074 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Dec. 1915 | 20.5 x 30.2 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-075 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Jan. 1916 | 20.1 x 31 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-076 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Feb. 1916 | 20.2 x 30.9 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-077 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | May-June, 1916 | 20.2 x 31 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-078 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | July-Dec. 1916 | 20 x 31 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-079 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Jan.-July, 1917 | 20 x 31 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-080 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | Aug.-Oct., 1917 | 19.8 x 31.2 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps |
XS-083 | The Mess Kit | June, 1919 | 24.5 x 31.5 | American Expeditionary Forces paper | |
S-002 | America in Europe | Sept. 30, 1918 | 32 x 42.5 | German propaganda paper directed at American soldiers | |
S-003 | America in Europe | Aug. 5, 1918 | 32 x 42.5 | German propaganda paper directed at American soldiers | |
S-093 | L'Echo de Tranchéesville | Pierre Schlack, Gil Merren, Octave Pradels | Nov. 16, 1916 | 31.1 x 45 | French trench paper, 258th Brigade, N. 28 |
S-094 | Bleutinent | Viérus, P. Lacroix, L. David | Oct. 1, 1916 | 28 x 44.8 | French trench paper, Bleutinent N. 24 |
S-095 | Le Paix-Pere | Dec. 25, 1916 | 26.3 x 38 | French trench paper, 359th infantry regiment. Christmas edition of XS-019, N. 40 | |
S-096 | La Musette | A. Bessard, Guy d'Abzac, Capitaine Naéguellé | n.d. | 28 x 37.4 | Litterary supplement to Le Poilu of the 37th Infantry Regiment, N. 1 |
S-097 | Le Midi au Front | G. Gaulène, P. Jalabert | May 25, 1916 | 27.9 x 38 | French paper, 296th Infantry Regiment. N. 8 |
S-098 | Le Poilu sans Poil | D'Hauterives | n.d. | 28 x 38 | French trench paper, 9th Battalion of 23rd Regiment of Infantry. N. 15 |
S-099 | Le Lapin à Plumes | Marcel Jeanjean | May, 1915 | 27.9 x 37.5 | Illustrated supplement to Canard Poilu, N. 9 |
S-100 | Le Poilu du 6-9 | Georges Legey, Georges Bateau, Marcel Jeanjean, Pierre Chapelle | March, 1917 | 26.7 x 38.8 | French trench paper, the 69th de ligne, N. 8 |
S-101 | l'Image | 1917 | 32.4 x 33.4 | Illustrated two-sided sheet with anti-German cartoons. N. 21 | |
S-102 | Poil... et Plume | Gabriel Boissy | Oct. 1916 | 39.3 x 44.9 | French trench paper, the 81st infantry regiment, N. 4 |
S-103 | On les aura | André Soriac, R. Bacard | April 15, 1917 | 32.6 x 44.2 | French trench paper, the 279th Territorial Regiment, N. 5 |
S-104 | Boum! Voila! | Emile Pagèt, P. de Wasthol, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Francis Vareddes | April 4, 1916 | 28.4 x 43.7 | French trench paper, contributors from various regiments, N. 2 |
S-105 | Grenadia | J. de Clarfont, André Ferrières, Dehaye | Nov. 17, 1916 | 30.7 x 44.4 | French trench paper of the 41st [...], N. 6 |
S-106 | Le Poilu | V. Gonnet, Georges Frankel, Louis Despax et. al | July, 1917 | 30.5 x 44.6 | French paper, various contributors, N. 35 |
S-107 | Face aux Boches Illustré | D. Frénnoud (?) | Feb. 1917 | 27.3 x 35.9 | Illustrated supplement to Face aux Boches, 7th Company of the 76th Territorial Regiment, N. 16 |
S-150 | Le Poilu du 37è | A. Michel-André, E. Morisot, Francis Salabert | 1916 | 32.3 x 25.2 | French trench paper, the 37th de Ligne. No. 10. Reference to le Bochophage (S-155) |
S-151 | Face aux Boches | Louis Drouet, Auguste Praneuf | Dec. 1916 | 25.8 x 33.2 | French trench paper, 7th Company of the 76th Territorial Regiment, N. 14 |
S-152 | Face aux Boches Illustré | D. Frénnoud (?) | Dec. 1916 | 26.3 x 35.3 | Illustrated supplement to Face aux Boches, 7th Company of the 76th Territorial Regiment |
S-153 | Rigolboche | P. J. Poitevin, Lt. R. Brès, Jules Pech, A. Lafont | n.d. | 20.1 x 30.5 | French trench paper, 20th Brigade, dedicated to marraines de guerre |
S-154 | Le Bochofage | G. Colombani, Henri Alibedt, André Charpentier | Dec. 25, 1916 | 24.8 x 32.6 | French trench paper, 6th Company of the 68th Infantry, N. 5 |
S-155 | Le Mouchoir | Louis Schem, J. Sesage, Ch. Vilpelle | Dec. 25, 1916 | 24 x 31 | French trench paper, Mouchoir N. 41 |
S-156 | A La Fourchette | Oct. 1916 | 23.3 x 35.7 | French trench paper, the 9th - 2 - 43.6 | |
S-157 | Les Tablettes d'un Poilu | Jean Dur, Rapin | Sept. 1916 | 11.5 x 18.1 | French trench paper, 6th Company of the 133rd [...] |
S-158 | Le Cafard Enchainé | H. Villaume, Jean Roit | Dec. 25, 1916 | 24.6 x 31.8 | French trench paper, the 226th [...] |
S-159 | Marmita | M. P. Courcel, Paul Clérouc, R. Diligent | Dec. 15, 1915 | 24.1 x 32.5 | French trench paper, the 267th Infantry Regiment. N. 17 |
S-160 | L'Echo des Guitounes | Pilé, Lemercier de Maisoncelle | July 31, 1916 | 20.2 x 28.1 | French trench paper, 144th de ligne, under management of Face aux Boches. N. 25 |
S-161 | L'Artilleur Déchainé | A. Ostermann, A. Praneuf, Chancy, David | Aug. 15, 1916 | 21.9 x 28.1 | French trench paper, 70th Battery of the 11th Regiment of Artillery à pied. No. 21 |
S-162 | La Bourguignotte | Albert Muhlemann, André Schwab, Eugène Piron | April, 1916 | 22.2 x 27.4 | French trench paper, the 227th de ligne. N. 8 |
S-163 | La Premiere Ligne | G. Biolier, René Girard, Racine Carrée | n.d. | 20.9 x 27.1 | French trench paper, the 78th Battery of the 3rd [...], N. 2 |
S-164 | Le Poilu | A. Comtes, B. Teulée | Sept. 30, 1915 | 21.5 x 26.5 | French trench paper, the 303th Infantry Regiment. N. 10 |
S-165 | Nos Filleuls | D.-M. Bergey | Jan. 1917 | 20.5 x 26.7 | Boreaux newspaper connected with Le Poilu St. Emilionnais (S-167). No. 2. |
S-166 | Le Poilu St. Emilionnais | D.-M. Bergey, Paul Saby, Hubert Chagneau, K. Lotin | Dec. 2, 1915 | 20.3 x 27 | French trench paper of the Pigouil soldiers. No. 9 |
S-167 | Le Son du Cor | Sergent A.B.C.D. et al. | Jan. 1916 | 18.6 x 26.9 | French trench paper, Chasseurs à Pied, N. 9. Contributors from various units |
S-168 | Le Tortillard | Nov. 10, 1916 | 36.3 x 22.9 | French trench paper, Battery of le chemin de fer | |
S-169 | l'Anti-Cafard | Dec. 1916 | 18.4 x 23 | French trench paper, l'Anti Cafard N. 21 | |
S-170 | La Petite Marmite | Tirefeu | n.d. | 17.9 x 23 | French trench paper, 6th battery of the 53rd [...], N. 25 |
S-171 | Le Tords-Boyaux | n.d. | 15.5 x 20 | French trench paper, 413th Machine-gunners | |
S-172 | Carnel de la Semaine d'un Poilu | Jan. 22, 1917 | 16.3 x 25.2 | French trench paper, "3 du 2 98T" | |
S-173 | La Voix du 75 | G. Pennel, Chollet | April 1916 | 14 x 22 | French trench paper, First Group of the 62nd Artillery Regiment |
S-174 | Les Rigolos | Potimier | Feb. 15, 1917 | 18.3 x 23.1 | French trench paper, 116th Battery of the 103rd Infantry Regiment |
S-175 | Le Souvenir | Jean des Vignes Rouges, Fernand Gregh, Michel Missoffe, André Laphin, Charles Dornier | Nov. 1916 | 23.3 x 33 | French trench paper, contributors from various units, N. 11 |
S-176 | Le 120 Court | Paul Broise, Grand Benêt Fils | March 13, 1916 | 25 x 32.7 | French trench paper, Battalion of Chasseurs. N. 14 |
S-177 | l'Ancre Rouge | Gabriel Gasc, F. de Prayols | July 9, 1916 | 24.3 x 31 | French trench paper, 9th Battalion of the 6th Colonial. N. 6 |
S-178 | Le Canard du Boyau | P. Goursat, R. Petel, G. Coroyer | Sept. 1916 | 25.2 x 32.6 | French trench paper, 74th Regiment of Infantry. N. 8 |
S-179 | Le Canard Poilu | Pierre Chapelle, Hunyadi Janos, Laprote-Dugué | March 1, 1916 | 25.1 x 32.6 | French trench paper, Postal sector 127. N. 54 |
S-180 | Le Klaxon | A. Samuel, Jean Ménil, Sylvain Toussant | Dec. 1916 | 25.1 x 32.3 | French trench paper, 367th Regiment of Infantry. N. 12 |
S-181 | L'Echo des Gourbis | J. Cazes, Ernest Lafont | April 12, 1915 | 21.2 x 32.7 | French trench paper, 131st Regiment of Infantry Territoriale de Campagne. N. 2 |
S-182 | L'Echo du Boyau | René Delmas | May 15, 1916 | 25 x 32.4 | French trench paper, the 214th [...], No. 8 |
S-183 | Le Camouflet | François Cancel, Sendrou, Franz | Oct. 15, 1916 | 25.1 x 32.4 | French trench paper, 7th Engineering, Company 15/7. N. 7 |
S-184 | La Fusée | Lt. de Bouillé | May 5, 1916 | 25.1 x 32.7 | French trench paper, 252nd Regiment of Infantry. N. 7 |
S-185 | L'Etoupille | Aug. 8, 1916 | 32.5 x 25.1 | French trench paper | |
S-186 | Le Poilu Marmité | L. Vergnaud, Albert Payand | Nov. 20, 1916 | 24.7 x 34.8 | French trench paper, the 133rd Regiment at the front. N. 33 |
S-187 | Poilu-Noël | L. Vergnaud, Albert Payand | Dec. 20, 1916 | 25.4 x 33 | French trench paper, Christmas supplement to Le Poilu Marmité (S-186). 133rd Regiment at the front. N. 35 |
S-188 | Le Plus-que-Torial | G. Linconnu, F. de Lille | March 15, 1916 | 24.9 x 32.6 | French trench paper, the 342nd Territorial Regiment. N. 3 |
S-189 | Le Sac à Terre et... | Raoul Pradel, S.Tray, Ignotus | Oct. 1916 | 25 x 32.6 | French trench paper, 61st Battalion of Chasseurs à pied. N. 70 |
S-190 | Télé-Mail | André Igon, Paul Gateaud, Pière Colombier, A. Lecomte | March 16, 1916 | 24.3 x 33 | French trench paper, the telegraphists and fortification specialists en Campagne. N. 7 |
S-191 | Titis & Totos | Dec. 20, 1916 | 25.1 x 33.2 | French trench paper, 157th Regiment of Infantry. N. 32 | |
S-192 | Le Ver Luisant | Francis Salabert, Gypé, Jean Poincignon | June 1916 | 24.3 x 31.6 | French trench paper, 68th section of floodlight operators of the 6th engineering unit. N. 9 |
S-193 | La Vie Poilusienne | Georges Crouzet, Pierre Causse | April 1916 | 25 x 32.3 | French trench paper, 142nd Infantry Regiment, N. 4 |
S-194 | Lettres d'un Poilu | H. Paul | n.d. | 22.9 x 36.2 | French trench paper, 11th Company 106/3, N. 3 |
S-195 | L'Echo des Cagnas | Dec. 15, 1916 | 22.8 x 35.6 | French trench paper, 333rd Infantry Regiment machine gun company, N. 36 | |
S-196 | Le Grospère | J. Diot | Sept. 1916 | 22.8 x 36 | French trench newspaper, unillustrated |
S-197 | Le Pouds des tranchées | 1917 | 23.1 x 36.5 | French trench paper, 133rd Infantry Regiment | |
S-198 | Le Mouchoir de Boche | Dec. 10, 1916 | 22.8 x 35.7 | French trench paper, 3rd Company of 227th Infantry Regiment | |
S-199 | Notre Rire | n.d. | 23.2 x 35.9 | French trench paper, 3rd Artillery Regiment | |
S-200 | Le Petit Echo | G. Morin, Géfiel, G. Labrunie | March 11, 1917 | 23.4 x 37.3 | French trench paper, 18th Territorial. N. 122 |
S-201 | L'Écho des Tranchées | Le Grignoux | May 10, 1916 | 21.1 x 32.8 | French trench paper, 17th Territorial. N. 44 |
S-202 | Le Crapouillot | André Warnod, Michel de Brunoff, Jean Galtier-Boissière, E. Galtier-Boissière | June 1917 | 21.4 x 30.1 | Newspaper of Jean Galtier-Boissière published for soldiers and civilians. N. 1 |
S-203 | Le Dernier Bateau | J. J. Roussau, P. Frédus | July-Dec. 1916 | 20.3 x 31.2 | French trench paper, Engineering Corps. Duplicate of XS-075 |
S-204 | La Ligature | Ferrey, Maran, J. E. Auclair | Dec. 15, 1916 | 20.1 x 31 | French trench paper, 1st Section of 8th Engineering Unit. N. 10 |
S-205 | l'Echo du Boqueteau | A. Boudon | July 1916 | 19.8 x 30.7 | French trench paper, l'Echo du Boqueteau N. 32 |
S-206 | La Guerre Joviale | André Rosmond | May 1917 | 21.2 x 31.2 | French trench paper, 370th Infantry Regiment. N. 25 |
S-207 | La Premiere Ligne | E. Gougerot, L. Barbier, A. Villemot | Dec. 1, 1916 | 20.9 x 31.3 | French trench paper, date corrected to 1915. 78th Battery of the 3rd [...]. N. 9 |
S-208 | Les Poilus de la 9è | Candide, Laroustoc, Juliette Claroux | July 11, 1915 | 19.8 x 30.9 | French trench paper, 9th Company of 69th Chasseurs à pied. N. 14 |
S-209 | La Mitraille | Oct. 13, 1916 | 20.1 x 30.7 | French trench paper, a machine gun unit, N. 1 | |
S-210 | La Marmite | Pasquier, Chenu-Lafitte | Sept. 1916 | 20.8 x 31.4 | French trench paper, 160th and 360th Infantry Regiments, N. 11 |
S-211 | Le Péca | n.d. | 19.8 x 31.2 | French trench paper, Stretcher-bearer unit | |
S-212 | La Saucisse | François-Oswald | Aug. 1916 | 21.2 x 30.7 | French trench paper, 205th Infantry Regiment. N. 9 |
S-213 | Le Tadebalgues | Jan. 10, 1917 | 20 x 31.1 | French trench paper, illustrated | |
S-214 | Le Schrapnell | July 15, 1915 | 20.3 x 31.1 | French trench paper, Le Schrapnell N. 5 | |
S-215 | La Vie Chère à Berlin | n.d. | 20 x 30.3 | French trench paper, 115th Company of [...] Unit | |
S-216 | Les Quat'z'Arts du Front | Paul Bisch, Albert Arnaud | July 25,1916 | 20.2 x 31 | French trench paper, A. 16/27. N. 6 |
S-217 | Ya Bon | April 25, 1917 | 23.6 x 30.5 | French trench paper. Ya Bon N. 12 | |
S-218 | La Revue du Front et le Souvenir | Jean des Vignes Rouges, P.J. Poitevin, Maurice Allou, J. Delorme-Jules Simon | Feb. 1917 | 23.7 x 32.4 | Contributors from war writers and members of various units. N. 14 |
S-219 | Le Filon | Octave Aubert, Auguste Delfau, J. Serenne | March 20, 1917 | 24.7 x 32.6 | French trench paper, 34th Division |
S-220 | Brise d'Entonnoirs | Pince Sans-Rire, Louis Abric | Feb. 1917 | 25.6 x 32.6 | French trench paper, 82nd Infantry Regiment. N. 8 |
S-221 | L'Écho Côtier | May 1, 1917 | 25.6 x 32.5 | French trench paper, Marine unit, N. 5 | |
S-222 | Le Gafouilleur | Stein, Baudry | Jan. 15, 1917 | 25.2 x 32.7 | French trench paper, 12th Cuirassiers, First Squadron of machine gunners. N. 19 |
S-223 | La Mitraille | Raphaël Cler, Raoul Beauchamp, Fernand Sernada | March-April, 1917 | 24.7 x 32.3 | War publication of Raphaël Cler. Managed by soldiers and civilians. N. 14 and 15 |
S-224 | Bombes et Pétards | March 1, 1917 | 23.2 x 18.4 | French trench paper, Trench-mortar operators in sector 192 | |
S-225 | L'Echo des Dunes | Georges Gouaux, Henri Mass | April 1917 | 21.9 x 27.9 | French trench paper, 51st Artillery Regiment. N. 10 |
S-226 | Le Bavardar de l'A.O. | Aug. 18, 1917 | 21 x 26.8 | Trench publication of l'Armée d'Orient. N. 1 | |
S-227 | L'Echo des Marmites | Lucien Boyer, Grissotin, Jules R. Hervé | April 25, 1917 | 21 x 27 | French trench paper, 221st Infantry Regiment. N. 19 |
S-228 | Taca Tac Teuf Teuf | Edouard Sené, Del Marle, F. Désert, Harmel | Jan. 15, 1917 | 25.3 x 34.1 | French trench paper or several groups of armoured car operators. N. 1 |
S-229 | Le Pastis | Tomasi Sauveur | June 25, 1916 | 24 x 30.6 | Trench publication founded in response to l'Ancre Rouge (S-178). N. 1 |
M-092 | Le rire aux éclats | Maurice Devriés, Bethmann-Hollweg | Jan. 1917 | 37.6 x 49.6 | French trench paper of [...] Infantry Regiment. N. 7 |
M-093 | Le Héraut: Echos du Camp de Zossen | Leon Niémack, Eugene Dienne, Luc Fichtner | ct. 18, 1914 | 31.7 x 47.5 | Newspaper written by POWs in Zossen. N. 1 |
M-094 | Le Tord-Boyau | Maurice Vittone, Henri Daroust, Louis Latapie | July, 1917 | 31.2 x 46.4 | French trench paper produced by members of 15th and 80th Infantry Regiments. N. 11 |
M-095 | L'Horizon | Emile Laport, Bernard Naudin, J. Delorme-Jules Simon, Robert Vallery-Radot | n.d. | 29.8 x 45.7 | French trench paper, from Postal sector 12. Naudin illustrations. N. 6 |
M-096 | Le Diable au Cor | G. R. D. Mac Grégor, Gordon-Biquefort, Julien Damoy | May 1, 1917 | 32 x 48 | French trench paper, 47th Division of Chasseurs alpins. N. 36 |
M-097 | Akhbār Al-Harb | April 20, 1917 | 32.8 x 49 | Algerian war newspaper. Akhbār Al-Harb No. 139. News of Italian and Russian fronts, War in the Air, etc. |
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