U.S. & German Militaria Reproductions & Collectibles
World War II U.S. Militaria :: Imperial & Third Reich Militaria
FEATURED REDDICK MILITARIA PRODUCTS
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Catalog 10
Photo Credit: NPS Photo/Luther Bailey
KILROY WAS HERE!
The phrase "Kilroy was here," accompanied by a doodle of a bald-headed man peeking over a wall, became a popular piece of graffiti among American troops during World War II. The story behind this iconic phrase is quite fascinating. James J. Kilroy, a shipyard inspector at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, is credited with starting the "Kilroy was here" phenomenon.
During the war, Kilroy would mark sections of ships he had inspected with the phrase "Kilroy was here" to indicate his work. This practice was meant to prevent riveters from claiming they had done more work than they actually had.
In 1946, the American Transit Association sponsored a nationwide contest to find the real Kilroy. The contest and the prize, a real trolley car, was widely promoted, and nearly 40 men claimed to be the genuine Kilroy.
James J. Kilroy from Halifax, Massachusetts, won the contest by providing evidence that he had indeed written the phrase on ships during his inspections. He did this by taking contest officials to the Fore River Shipyard, where he showed them the places he had inscribed "Kilroy was here." His markings included the cartoon character peering over a wall.
The joke about the slogan's appearance was that no matter where American troops went, they would find "Kilroy was here" already written, suggesting that Kilroy had been there first. This led to humorous claims that Kilroy was an omnipresent figure, always one step ahead. continued
Reddick Militaria does not support, condone, or in anyway try to glorify Nazi Germany or any neo-fascist organization. These items are sold for the serious collectors, re-enactors, historical organizations and theatrical purposes only.