Humorous prose by Betty Mould, Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps

Her story tells of how 'Bandy', being fed up with Army life and wishing to go home, fools the Army Board into letting him go back to 'Blighty'.

The word 'blighty' is a slang term for Great Britain. The word derives from an Urdu word meaning 'foreign', and was used in India in the 1800s as a term for an English or British visitor. It was used by British soldiers in South Africa during the Boer War (1899-1902) in reference to their homeland. Its use amongst troops continued during World War One (1914-1918). To 'catch a blighty one' was slang for receiving a non-fatal wound that would result in evacuation home.

From a collection of papers of Betty Mould MBE (1895-1988), Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, 1909-1981.