Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2022 February 23

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February 23

What did Truman say that so shocked the troops?

In a footnote on page 291 of Mallinson, Allan (2006). Too Important for the Generals: Losing and Winning the First World War. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 9780593058183. we read "During a sudden attack in the Vosges Mountains, American troops began to flee. Some of them were stopped by Captain (later President of the United States) Harry S. Truman of the Missouri National Guard, serving with the 129th Field Artillery. He is said to have used language so shocking, learned while working on the Santa Fe railroad, that they promptly rallied. There are leadership tricks not taught at West Point - or Sandhurst". What I want to know is - what did he actually say? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 01:28, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Truman's account of 'The Battle of Who Ran' was given to Jonathan W. Daniels for The Man of Independence, pp. 96-7 and according to Daniels "...imprecations upon the maternity of the Irish and the courage of the Irish". The account of Father Curtis Tiernan, a Catholic chaplain on the scene is given in Steinberg, Alfred (1962). The Man from Missouri. pp. 46–7. "It took the skin off the ears of those boys." and "It turned those boys right around", which unfortunately i only find a snippet. fiveby(zero) 03:52, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Similarly, in the biography Truman, David McCullough writes: "In any event, Captain Truman stood his ground, and once having recovered his breath, let fly with a blast of profanity that had stunning effect chiefly because it came from the officer who, heretofore, had seemed so proper and reserved. 'I got up and called them everything I knew', was how Harry himself remembered the moment. He was livid and terrified." And after that, "With his blistering verbal barrage and the vivid example of his own fierce courage under fire, Captain Truman succeeded finally in getting things in control." I see no reason to expect that the exact words would have been recorded. --184.144.97.125 (talk) 06:26, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Here is a bit longer passage from Steinberg's book: It was hard to believe that this brawling gang of fighting Irish would go to pieces under fire, but the men panicked and all except five ran for their lives into the forest. “I got up and called them everything I knew,” said Truman. The curses that poured out contained some of the vilest four-letter words heard on the Western Front. Said Father Curtis Tiernan, the regiment’s Catholic chaplain, who was on the scene, “It took the skin off the ears of those boys.” The effect was amazing, Padre Tiernan recalled with pleasure. “It turned those boys right around.” The words "imprecations upon the maternity of the Irish" suggest a qualification like whoresons, which is considerably longer than four letters.  --Lambiam 12:50, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Margaret "Peggy" Bacon

Could a kind soul provide a birth date and/ or a burial location for Peggy Bacon (radio producer), also a radio presenter and television producer, born Birmingham in 1918 or 1919, please? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:42, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

I've been trying, but all I can find is the Birmingham Post obituary already cited in the article. There's a lot of interference from the other Peggy Bacon, who seems to be much better documented. --Jayron32 15:51, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Garment

What is the garment habitually worn by Maurice Yeatman, the local verger in the BBC comedy Dad's Army? Is that a surplice? I was struck by the top half similarity to Fred Dibnah in Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain. But the bottom half is different, of course. 86.188.121.44 (talk) 19:42, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Our articles say a verger wears a cassock. Fred Dibnah, on the other hand, tended to wear a grimy blue suit which fit him like overalls (when he was being formal). Not sure what you've seen him wearing that's like a cassock.  Card Zero  (talk) 21:34, 23 February 2022 (UTC)

Thanks. Maybe it's the flat cap and glasses that does it. 86.188.121.44 (talk) 21:48, 23 February 2022 (UTC)