Bairnsfather, Bruce

Bruce Bairnsfather, in full Charles Bruce Bairnsfather, (born July 9, 1888, Murree, India—died September 29, 1959, Worcester, Worcestershire, England), cartoonist best known for his grimly humorous depictions of British soldiers in the trenches of World War I.

The son of a soldier, Bairnsfather attended the United Services College at Westward Ho, north Devon, but after a short period in the army he decided on an art career. He studied art briefly but, unable to find work in the field, joined a firm of electrical engineers, for which he eventually became a representative. In August 1914 he rejoined his regiment and later that year went to France. He began sketching in the trenches, and in 1915 his first cartoons about army life appeared in The Bystander, where they were an immediate success. Wounded in action, he had further opportunity to sketch during his convalescence. Collections of his drawings enjoyed wide popularity. His most famous character was Old Bill, a middle-aged Cockney soldier with a walrus moustache.

In December 1916 Bairnsfather joined the intelligence department of the War Office as an officer cartoonist and was sent to various fronts. After the war he drew for a number of publications in England and the United States but did not maintain his earlier popularity. During World War II he served as an official cartoonist with the U.S. Army in Europe.