Battle of warships anti air forces8/25/2023 ![]() Elting suggests that it was used at the beginning of World War II, but was replaced, at least by the American troops, with the term ‘flak’. This was largely a World War I term applied specifically to the German anti-aircraft artillery.Its use is credited to an RAF pilot, Vice-Marshall Amyas Borton, who apparently had a habit of singing the song’s defiant chorus-“Archibald, certainly not! / Get back to work at once, sir, like a shot!”-as he flew his airplane between the exploding German shells on the Western Front.įrom : Glossary of Slang and Peculiar Terms in Use in the A.I.F. Apparently derived from an old music hall song called Archibald, Certainly Not!, Archie was a British military slang word for German anti-aircraft fire.When single you could waste time spooning The usage came about because Borton was probably the first pilot to shout the words "Archibald, certainly not" (from a popular music-hall song written by George Robey) as he flew between the exploding German shells.Īrchibald, Certainly Not: (Refrain from the famous song) It is recognized that while serving on the Western Front, Borton invented the slang term "archie" for anti-aircraft fire. Following the start of the War in June, Borton flew with his Squadron to France. Two months prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Borton was seconded to the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps, serving as a pilot on No.Archie, British World War I military slang for "German anti-aircraft fire" (1915) supposedly is from black humor of airmen dodging hostile fire and thinking of the refrain of a popular music hall song, "Archibald, certainly not!"Īir Vice Marshal Amyas Eden Borton was a pilot and commander in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1920s. proper name, from Old High German Erchanbald, literally "genuine bold," from erchan "genuine" + bald (see bold). My question is, does any further evidence exist? Which of these explanations are correct? Or is there some other origin?Īs attested by most sources the origin is probably from a humorous reference to the very popular music hall song, " Archibald, certaily not" which became a cachtphrase in those years: Reinforced the chosen word is difficult to determine without more Whether the term was picked up from the song or whether the song Any flying-man who trained at Brooklands before the war will Old friend Archibald, they called being shelled 'being Archied’ for To produce a 'remous’ reminding the Brookland trained pilots of their As subsequently, when warīroke out, the effect of having shell bursting near an aeroplane was Sewage-farm was called by them Archibald. Giving proper names to inanimate objects, the bump near the Were found to be permanent, one over the Wey river, and another at theĬorner of the aerodrome next to the sewage-farm. Of, or over, water or damp ground, there were disturbances in the airĬausing bumps or drops to these early pioneers. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines] that in the vicinity ![]() “It was at once noticed at Brooklands [where much aviation developmentĪnd testing was carried out prior to 1914, and portrayed in the film This source quotes Ernest Weekley’s An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English (1921) with an alternative explanation:. (1915) supposedly is from black humor of airmen dodging hostile fireĪnd thinking of the refrain of a popular music hall song, "Archibald, The Online Etymology Dictionary explains:-īritish World War I military slang for "German anti-aircraft fire" Green's Dictionary of Slang is silent on the matter. German anti-aircraft guns, always known as Archibalds, which begin toīurst their shells uncomfortably near them. Reading The War Illustrated (January 30th, 1915 number), I came across this passage:-Īt this speed they offer a comparatively stationary mark for the
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