The Two Types

[Gerry Chester]

The Two Types blasted their way into the affections of all readers of British Army newsXpapers in North Africa, Italy, Sicily, Southern France and Greece. The Two Types, for all their deceptively fatuous appearance, are characters of violence and action. They do not coax. They do not wheedle. Their attitude to the world and everyone in it is "Hit or miss". Either vou like us or you hate us. We don't worry a damn either way. They came overseas as Army officers, battered into an appreciation of the niceties of dress and deportment by ferocious 0. C.T.U. ComXmandants and unbending Commanding Officers. It took the Western Desert to transform them into the 'Two Types'.

Perhaps members of the Forum would care to see more of these characters whose antics helped to raise the morale of those of us who served with 8th Army.

[BeppoSapone]

Originally posted by Gerry Chester@Aug 30 2004, 11:36 AM


The Two Types blasted their way into the affections of all readers of British Army newsXpapers in North Africa, Italy, Sicily, Southern France and Greece. The Two Types, for all their deceptively fatuous appearance, are characters of violence and action. They do not coax. They do not wheedle. Their attitude to the world and everyone in it is "Hit or miss". Either vou like us or you hate us. We don't worry a damn either way. They came overseas as Army officers, battered into an appreciation of the niceties of dress and deportment by ferocious 0. C.T.U. ComXmandants and unbending Commanding Officers. It took the Western Desert to transform them into the 'Two Types'.

Perhaps members of the Forum would care to see more of these characters whose antics helped to raise the morale of those of us who served with 8th Army.

Quoted post

*****

Please post some Gerry. I have the book you scanned plus one other and a modern book about "Jon" and "Two Types". Are there any other books about these two officers?

My favourite cartoons are: the one where a member of the "Irish Brigade" is cutting shamrock formation signs out of their billiard table and the one which has their jeep festooned with the names of assault landings etc made in Italy and North Africa, and one of the "types" is saying something like: "Which D Day do they mean, old man?"

"Viva Il Demon Vino"!

I also like the American cartoon answer to "Two Types", "Willie and Joe" drawn by Bill Mauldin (sp?) who died in the past year or two.

[Kiwiwriter]

Yes, Bill Mauldin. Died last year or the year before.

It's sad that Willie and Joe never met the Two Types.

Willie and Joe did meet Snoopy, and that's because Charles Schultz, the creator of "Peanuts," served in Italy in WW2, as did Mort Walker of "Beetle Bailey" fame.

[BeppoSapone]

Originally posted by Kiwiwriter@Aug 30 2004, 03:40 PM
Yes, Bill Mauldin. Died last year or the year before.

It's sad that Willie and Joe never met the Two Types.

Willie and Joe did meet Snoopy, and that's because Charles Schultz, the creator of "Peanuts," served in Italy in WW2, as did Mort Walker of "Beetle Bailey" fame.

Quoted post

Beetle Bailey? Is it me, or did this, or it?, never cross the Atlantic?

I read somewhere that Bill Mauldin said that Willie and Joe saved his life. If he had not been drawing them he would have been back in a Rifle Company in 45th (Thunderbird) Infantry Division.

My favourite cartoon is the one with the German POWs, and one of the guards is saying, to the GIs, something like "We'll let you know when we find the one that invented the '88".

[Gerry Chester]

[quote BeppoSapone]
Are there any other books about these two officers?
[/quote]

Hi Beppo,

Not that I am aware of - since being stung (as mentioned below) I have a friend in the UK who is looking out for a copy of Jon's book

I have the two original booklets, purchased in Italy for the magnificent sum of 10 and 15 lire respectively at 200 to the ₤ they were bargains. I have being looking for Jon's book for a long time - about a year ago, some chap offered on E-bay what I thought was the book as the asking price was ₤18 - my bid was successful, however, when it arrived it was just one of the booklets!

My favourite cartoons are:


And one, which I sent to ex NIH chaps because it features a Churchill is:


For those who do have access to the booklet, the caption reads:
"Don't worry old man, we've enough macadam on the tracks to take us into Austria."

[BeppoSapone]

I have being looking for Jon's book for a long time - about a year ago, some chap offered on E-bay what I thought was the book as the asking price was ₤18 - my bid was successful, however, when it arrived it was just one of the booklets!

Gerry

Try remaindered book shops. About 2 years ago I picked up a couple of copies for a lot less than a fiver each!

Like you I had been looking for a copy for years, and so kept one. The other I sold on ebay to an 8th Army veteran from, IIRC, Yorkshire. He was "over the moon" with it, and sent me a colour photo-copy of the 8th Army Thanksgiving Prog.

[Owen]

From http://www.politicalcartoon.co.uk/html/books.html

JON's Complete Two Types by 'JON'
Foreword by Lord Cudlipp - £9.99 (£7.99 to PCS Members)
JON's moustachioed Two Types were the quintessential caricatures of Eighth Army's 'Desert Rat' officers in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War. Here for the first time their creator, W.J.P. Jones - awarded an MBE by Winston Churchill for the contribution the Two Types made to Allied morale - has compiled the very best of the cartoons for this book.

[Ron Goldstein]

Hi Gerry et al
As an ex 78 Div/1st Army/8th Army type myself I can't get enough of the Two Types.
On the last page of my Army Album:
http://ronsactualarmyalbum.blogspot.com/
I pasted in what presumably was meant to be the last of these brilliant and evocative cartoons.
You've got the books Gerry, was this the case?

Ron
ex 49th LAA/4th Queen's Own Hussars

[Owen]

Ron.
Great album. I do like the DUKW/Gondola
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3...0Page%2053.jpg

[von Poop]

Excellent website!
It's going to take a fair while to read through all that.

Cheers,
Adam.