Kilroy was here, or the nosy nose of World War II –

Some of us remember famous pier who left his signature everywhere, at least in Madrid. Muelle, with his characteristic drawing, managed to carve out a niche for himself in marketing studies, since it was on the lips of all Madrid residents for years. But what happens when we transfer this same event to a very specific period 1939-1945, the Second World War and what to say when the allied soldiers found Kilroy in every battle they fought. Kilroy was here, or the nosy nose of World War IIthe title of our article, was born with the intention of explaining who Kilroy was and why he appeared everywhere.

Kilroy was here | The legend

“Art is the only lie that brings us closer to the truth”. It is a phrase said by the great genius of painting Picasso.

As we have mentioned before, the events took place during the Second World War. In any given battle, as the bombs fell near the allied soldiers, General Patton giving instructions, trying to move forward and take cover, while the german enemy shot and bombed. A soldier looks up and there he is.

An English phrase that says Kilroy was here, “Kilroy was here” and the drawing of a doll that sticks its head out of what could be a wall, while its huge nose hangs out. Engraved with paint on a metal plate, the soldier is impressed and comments on this fact with his companions.

Normandy’s landing, on D-day at H-hour, wounded or dead soldiers on the sand, shrapnel brushing past their faces and in the distance an image that was beginning to be famous among the troops «Kilroy was here». A strange feeling ran through the body of the soldiers who saw it. On one hand heit instilled humor and spirit for a moment, but for another caused confusionHad a compatriot had the cold blood to stop and paint such a phrase in the heat of battle?

There were more and more battalions what in different sites could see this very special Kilroy signature, it was soon the talk of the Allied armies. But who was that Kilroy who was ahead of everyone and also left his mark.

Kilroy was here | What was Kilroy’s engraving like and what did he stir up

It is an engraving or drawing that became a legend among millions of men and women of the United States Army who served during the Second World War.

The drawing consists of a bald stickman, big nose looking over a wall along with the inscription “Kilroy was here” (Kilroy was here). He appeared in the most common and also the most unexpected places where the United States Army fought during World War II.

Among the soldiers there were competitions to see in what strange and inaccessible places the graffiti would appear. The funny thing about it is that even Japanese intelligence and Hitler himself they worried about the appearance in strange places of that strange subject.

Since then, many american soldiers they have left their Kilroy graffiti on battlefields in Iraq or Afghanistan, as a reminder of that event that kept enemies in check and surprised allies.

Kilroy was here | Looking for Kilroy

When the war was over, it was thought that the time had come to look for Kilroy and know how many places he had been. It was then that at Transit Company of America it occurred to him to prepare a prize-winning contest a tramfor anyone who could identify him, providing evidence.

James J Kilroy, an American citizen, residing in Boston, in the state of Massachusetts. James worked as shipyard inspector Fore River in the city of Boston. Kilroy had a contract with the company since December 5, 1941. J. Kilroy had the tedious mission in the shipyard of count the rivets of the structures of ships of the Liberty Ship type.

The Liberty Ships were cargo ships that were built in the United States, while World War II was taking place, in order to comply with the Loan and Lease Law, which the United States had with Great Britain. The British fleet had suffered heavy losses from German submarines. These ships were responsible for replacing the British fleet and thus ensure supply.

Let’s go back to our story, James was supposed to supervise the rivets of these ships and chalk the pieces already revised, Kilroy charged per revised plate, the picaresque of the moment, made the workers erase the chalk marks and count the same piece twice, for which they would charge double.

James J. Kilroy, decided mark with paint instead of erasable chalk, the message “Kilroy was here”, “Kilroy was here,” he would write this phrase on each plate he reviewed, in addition to the drawing of the proboscis doll. When a ship sailed into a war zone, the chalk marks of the rest of the riveters were erased but Kilroy’s painted with paint remained intact.

The soldiers who boarded these ships surely saw the mark Kilroy’s inimitable. When a ship was sunk, parts of the hull came off, ending up on the shores of any beach. Or were they used for signs, beacons, etc We must not forget that we are in the Second World War and there was a shortage of raw materials.

Is Explanation that James J. Kilroy gave attributing the authorship of the graffiti and after being confirmed by his fellow riveters at the shipyard where he worked, he ended up winning the contest, winning the fabulous tram offered as a prize by the TCA – Transit Company of America.

The funny thing is that James J. Kilroy, never left boston the name of the man who appeared in all places, on all fronts, even in the most terrible trenches, was never in any of the places where his mark claimed to have been.

Since then Kilroy has been here it has become a symbol, we can see it in the monument in memory of the fallen in World War II, we can see it printed on T-shirts, etc. Although if something characterizes this graffiti it is its undoubted connection with the armed forces and what it meant for the morale of the troops.

And who knows, the next conquest is set on Mars, maybe Kilroy one day can get there or maybe he already is!

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Kilroy was here | Image gallery