April 20, 1944 — Enemy names given to the Germans on Anzio
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War correspondent, Ernie Pyle, wrote, “Funny how nicknames change from one war to the next, and even during wars.”[1]
Pyle continued:
Last war, if I remember correctly, the Germans were almost always referred to as “Huns,” but you don’t hear the word used in this war, at least not in the rear.
For the first year or so it was always “Jerry.”
Now in the last few mouths the term “Kraut” has shown up, and it is used at the front more than any other, I guess.
The latest term is “Tedeschi,” the Italian word for German. The “ch” is hard, like the “k” in Kansas.
About a third of the time our soldiers speak of the Germans as “the Tedeschi.”[1]
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Pfc. Louis Siegel … suggested that the newspaper refer to the enemy by the combination of the words “Bosch” and “Tedeschi”, making them “Bosteds”, with an English accent.[2]
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[1] Ernie Pyle. With Fifth Army Beachhead Forces in Italy. Enemy Names. News Clipping.
[2] Indahl Wins Name Contest. The Third Division Front Line. Vol. 1, No. 1, page 2.
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