'When the 'ell is it goin' to be strawberry', Bairnsfather Ware jug, 1917 (c)

Earthenware jug made by Grimwades Limited, Staffordshire. White body with overglazed sepia transfer printed decoration of a cartoon by Lieutenant Bruce Bairnsfather entitled, 'When the 'ell is it goin' to be strawberry'. The coat of arms of Great Britain is transfer printed in colour on the reverse. An inscription on the base reads, 'Made by the Girls of Staffordshire during the Winter 1917/ 18 When the "Boys" were in the Trenches Fighting for Liberty and Civilisation', with a globe and the maker's name, 'Grimwades Stoke on Trent' and a raised impression of the word, 'Greek'.

Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959) served with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on the Western Front during World War One (1914-1918). Before the war he had attempted to make his living as a commercial artist and he continued to sketch while at the Front.

The horror of trench warfare had a profound effect on the young infantry officer but it was the stoic good humour of his men that inspired most of the cartoons he produced. Encouraged by his work's popularity with officers and men alike, Bairnsfather submitted a cartoon entitled, 'Where Did That One Go To?', to the 'The Bystander' magazine and it was accepted and published. Compilations of his cartoons, notably the 'Fragments from France' series, followed. Bairnsfather's artwork was reproduced widely in various forms and became the subject of successful theatrical and film productions.

Invalided home, Bairnsfather became quite a celebrity but the British authorities seemed disinclined to promote the artist or his work. Bairnsfather was however in demand from Britain's allies and he went on to work with the French, Italian and United States armies.

The cartoon featured on this jug is also known as 'The Eternal Question...When the 'ell is it going to be strawberry' and shows a British 'Tommy', on the Western Front during World War One, pipe in mouth, dipping bread into a pot of plum and apple jam. Bairnsfather's original cartoon reflected the apparent lack of variety of jam available at the Front, at least in the early years of the war, and the apparent preponderance of plum and apple as a flavour.