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Charley: A familiar name for the infantry soldiers' pack. Suggested by the hump-backed appearance of a soldier in heavy marching order laden with the whole field-service equipment. Derived from an old saying that a hunchbacked man was carrying his little brother Charley on his back. "Young Charley" or "Little Charley" – a haversack. [1]
References / notes
- ↑ Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925). Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases. Routledge, London p.52.
The above term is listed in our Compendium of the Great War on this day.
Included are trench slang, service terms, expressions in everyday use, nicknames, the titles and origins of British and Commonwealth Regiments, and warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary with the war, which is reflected in the language used. Sources include: Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases, The War Book-of-Facts and Odhams' A.B.C. of the Great War. Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.