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All the United Kingdom England Odiham Birthplace of the British Tommy
AO Edited

Birthplace of the British Tommy

According to the Soldiers Account Book, the village of Odiham is home to Thomas Atkins, whose name became shorthand for all British soldiers.

Odiham, England

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A British Tommy on the Western Front, circa 1914-1918   Nationaal Archief
A British Tommy on the Western Front, circa 1914-1918   Nationaal Archief
Sign at Odiham Peace Garden   AdOYo / Atlas Obscura User
  War Office - Soldier’s Account Book (record of service)
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About

The village of Odiham in Hampshire is closely associated with Britain's Royal Air Force, as the base at RAF Odiham is the home of the iconic Chinook helicopter. The nearby town of Aldershot is considered the home of the British Army, for whom the nickname "Tommy" became synonymous over the 19th and 20th centuries. But the eponymous Tommy was born in Odiham.

According to records, Thomas Atkins began serving in the British Army on August 31, 1815, as a private in the No. 6 Company of the 1st Battalion in Foot Regiment. But Thomas "Tommy" Atkins may not have actually existed. Thomas Atkins was a name used by the War Office when they produced a model example of how a soldier's record of service should be completed within the Soldiers Account Book.

The Soldiers Account Book listed Thomas Atkins’s position, regiment, and place of birth, the village of Odiham. Though the book’s Private was likely inspired by a preexisting moniker ascribed to Britain's common soldiers, it is from the War Office’s Odiham-born example that allies—and later enemies—took inspiration when nicknaming the British Army’s Tommys, during the First World War.

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World War I Names Villages Military History

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AdOYo

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Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

November 4, 2022

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Sources
  • https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-British-Tommy-Tommy-Atkins/
  • https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/tommy-atkins.html
  • https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/16994065.race-get-peace-garden-ready-time-armistice-commemorations/
Birthplace of the British Tommy
1B King Johns Rd
Odiham, England, RG29 1EE
United Kingdom
51.257198, -0.950068
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Nearby Places

Odiham Pest House

Odiham, England

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Odiham

Odiham

England

Places 2

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Odiham Pest House

Odiham, England

miles away

Odiham Castle

Odiham, England

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Photo of Odiham

Odiham

England

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