thumb|"Tommies" from the [[Royal Ulster Rifles|Royal Irish Rifles in the Battle of the Somme's trenches during the First World War]]

Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War.

A common belief is that the name was chosen by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, having been inspired by the bravery of a soldier at the Battle of Boxtel in 1794 during the Flanders Campaign. After a fierce engagement, the Duke, in command of the 33rd Regiment of Foot, purportedly spotted the best man-at-arms in the regiment, Private Thomas Atkins, terribly wounded. The private said, "It's all right, sir. It's all in a day's work," and died shortly after. According to the Imperial War Museum, this theory has Wellesley choosing the name in 1843.

Richard Holmes, in the prologue to his 2005 book, Tommy, states that:

The Oxford English Dictionary states its origin as "arising out of the casual use of this name in the specimen forms given in the official regulations from 1815 onward"; the citation references Collection of Orders, Regulations, etc., pp. 75–87, published by the War Office, 31 August 1815. The name is used for an exemplary cavalry and infantry soldier; other names used included William Jones and John Thomas. Thomas Atkins continued to be used in the Soldier's Account Book until the early 20th century.

A further suggestion was given in 1900 by an army chaplain named Reverend E. J. Hardy. He wrote of an incident during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. When most of the Europeans in Lucknow were fleeing to the British Residency for protection, a private of the 32nd Regiment of Foot remained on duty at an outpost. Despite the pleas of his comrades, he insisted that he must remain at his post. He was killed at his post, and the Reverend Hardy wrote that "His name happened to be Tommy Atkins and so, throughout the Mutiny Campaign, when a daring deed was done, the doer was said to be 'a regular Tommy Atkins'".

thumb|Front cover of sheet music, pub 1893, for song "Private Tommy Atkins" composed by Samuel Potter (1851–1934) and [[Henry Hamilton (playwright)|Henry Hamilton (c. 1854 – 1918). Signed by baritone C. Hayden Coffin.]]

Rudyard Kipling published the poem "Tommy" (part of the Barrack-Room Ballads, which were dedicated "To T.A.") in 1892. In reply, William McGonagall wrote "Lines in Praise of Tommy Atkins" in 1898, which was an attack on what McGonagall saw as the disparaging portrayal of Tommy in Kipling's poem. and published by T. B. Harms & Co. in New York the next year. The song was also reintroduced into later performances of San Toy for Hayden Coffin. He recalled singing it on Ladysmith Night (1 March 1900) where "the audience were roused to such a pitch of enthusiasm, that they rose to their feet, and commenced to shower money on to the stage".

In the children's fantasy novel The Indian in the Cupboard (1980) by Lynne Reid Banks, toy soldiers representing various historical wars are brought to life by magic. One is a World War I medic who says his name is Tommy Atkins. Steve Coogan plays this character in the 1995 film adaptation.

"Tommy cooker" was a nickname for a British soldier's portable stove.

Some copies of the war-themed Commodore 64 game Who Dares Wins II credit programmer Steve Evans as Tommy Atkins

See also

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  • Alternative names for the British
  • Brodie helmet
  • Digger, Doughboy and Poilu for the Allied counterparts
  • G.I.
  • HMS Birkenhead (1845)
  • Jack Tar
  • Jerry (WWII)
  • Joe Bloggs
  • Kraut
  • Limey
  • Squaddie
  • Mehmetçik and Johnny Turk

References

  • Tommy Atkins Society British Second World War Reenactment Society in the UK, and winner of the Best Display Award at the Victory Show 2007 sponsored by the Armchair General Magazine
  • "The last time I saw Tommy", illustrated poem by Joshua Quagmire
  • The Last Tommy—a campaign to mark the passing of the last First World War Tommy with a state funeral.