Mr. Chad
I am the name of a beloved and mischievous cartoon figure that emerged in Britain during the Second World War. Characterized by a simple yet expressive design, Mr. Chad is typically depicted as a bald, long-nosed face peeking over a wall, with a single curling hair resembling a question mark and often crosses or plus-and-minus signs for eyes. Accompanying his image is a wry, complaining catchphrase, such as "Wot, no sausages?" or "Wot, no tea?"—a humorous lament about the shortages and rationing that defined wartime life in the UK.Believed to have originated around 1938, Mr. Chad is often credited to British cartoonist George Edward Chatterton, whose nickname "Chat" may have inspired the character’s name. Initially popularized during the war, the doodle became a symbol of resilience and sardonic humor among civilians and servicemen alike. The Royal Air Force (RAF), army, and navy each adopted him under different monikers—known as "Private Snoops" in the army and "The Watcher" in the navy—while his image graced walls, vehicles, and even a glider during Operation Market Garden with the plea, "Wot, no engines?"
The character’s design may have roots in practical origins, possibly inspired by an electrical circuit diagram or the Greek letter omega, reflecting the ingenuity of wartime ground crews. By the mid-1940s, Mr. Chad had spread across Britain and beyond, with sightings reported as far as Austria ("Wot—no Fuehrer?") and even overlapping with the American "Kilroy was here" phenomenon, though the two maintained distinct identities.
Though his prominence faded with the end of rationing and the war’s aftermath, Mr. Chad remains a nostalgic emblem of British wartime spirit—occasionally resurfacing in popular culture as a reminder of a time when humor helped a nation endure hardship. His legacy endures as a testament to the power of simple art to capture a collective mood.
Mr. Kilroy
"Kilroy Was Here", immortalized the American character Kilroy. Popularised by the doodles of American GIs during World War II, he was a symbol of presence, mischief, and morale. Credited to James J. Kilroy, a despatch commander at a military depot in the States responsible for the dispatching all goods and equipment including ammo to American troops in Europe. Kilroy's signature was on every label of goods dispatched. Boxes and ammo box lids would be ripped off when opened and unpacked the saying "Kilroy Was Here" came about because wherever the American troops had passed through they left lids with his name on which became emblematic for Americans that they got there first. From battlefields to bathrooms, Kilroy’s legacy endures as a quirky emblem of human connection and achievement.MR CHAD 'Says' - "WOT NO MATES?"
