If the adverts are to be believed, THE TEN TOMMIES was a popular and lucrative act which, if it was seventeen months old in 1918, must have been born in about October 1916, a couple of months before Bert Danson applied for his passport.
It's also clear that there were other "spurious" wounded soldier acts although Bert Danson neglects to mention that not all of the Ten Tommies had "fought in France, Gallipoli etc" and neither had they all been wounded. Indeed, reading the adverts, it would appear that the end of the war was probably not greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm by the same soldier entertainers who, by May 1918, were used to salaries of £100 a week.
I'll get back to the army service numbers proper in my next post.
7th February 1917 - Page 17
THE TEN TOMMIES
ORIGINATORS!!!
Boys who have FOUGHT in France,
Gallipoli, Egypt and Salonica.
Theatres or Music Halls Wanted.
Can Play in 2 Scenes 25-50 Minutes.
Great success of NEW MATERIAL
LAUGHS! LAUGHS! LAUGHS!
This – Music Hall, Inverness
Next – La Scala, Invergordon
Coms. – PAUL MURRAY
or BERT DANSON
17th February 1918 - Page 20
VACANT JAN 28, FEB 4,
and on with exceptions
THE
TEN TOMMIESThe ORIGINAL and Wounded Soldier Entertainers
Now in seventeenth month of continuous Tour
With a reputation as a “TOP” built on MERIT
NOT SENTIMENT
NEW SONGS AND BUSINESS
Presenting all original material and one of the
BIGGEST LAUGHING SUCCESSES
ever produced.
THE
TEN TOMMIES
Can be booked alone or in conjunc-
tion with BERT DANSON’S Single
Tour.
SHARES or SALARY, or supported by full
Variety Bill for First Class Music Halls,
Theatres or Picture Palaces
NOW, MR MANAGER,
BOOK A “TOP”
that is certain to give you SATISFACTION
Coms. BERT DANSON, this HIPPO, ST HELENS
Next, COLLISEUM, GLASGOW (return)
and on with exceptions
THE
TEN TOMMIESThe ORIGINAL and Wounded Soldier Entertainers
Now in seventeenth month of continuous Tour
With a reputation as a “TOP” built on MERIT
NOT SENTIMENT
NEW SONGS AND BUSINESS
Presenting all original material and one of the
BIGGEST LAUGHING SUCCESSES
ever produced.
THE
TEN TOMMIES
Can be booked alone or in conjunc-
tion with BERT DANSON’S Single
Tour.
SHARES or SALARY, or supported by full
Variety Bill for First Class Music Halls,
Theatres or Picture Palaces
NOW, MR MANAGER,
BOOK A “TOP”
that is certain to give you SATISFACTION
Coms. BERT DANSON, this HIPPO, ST HELENS
Next, COLLISEUM, GLASGOW (return)
30th May 1918 - Page 16
WANTED, Theatres or Music
Halls, for
BERT DANSON’S
RECORD-BREAKING COMBINATION,
The
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
the famous and original, and ONLY
GENUINE original, and ONLY
GENUINE all-Soldier Entertainers.
Why book
SPURIOUS IMITATIONS
SPURIOUS IMITATIONS
SPURIOUS IMITATIONS
when the Genuine Act is the Funniest
Act and the Biggest Salaried Act, and
gets more Laughs and Applause in five
minutes than Imitations get in a
week? The Ten Tommies are the only
party of entertainers who have had
salaries of £100. £100. £100. weekly.
The Ten Tommies have TOPPED on
the whole of Moss Empire’s Syndicate
Halls, Broadhead’s Controlling, and
Principal Independent Halls for nearly
two years’ continuous tour.
Last week the
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
TEN TOMMIES
once again, once again
BROKE ALL RECORDS
BROKE ALL RECORDS
BROKE ALL RECORDS
Refer Percy B Broadhead Esq.
This week playing to holiday business
And ditto, May 13, Hippo, Altrincham
Refer Frank Hargreaves Esq
Vacant
June 24, July 15, Aug 12, Sep 2
Oct 7, 14, 28 and on with exceptions
All coms, BERT DANSON
23rd August 1918 - Page 21
WANTED
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
September 3 and 10
THE TEN
TOMMIES
The Original Act written and composed by
BERT DANSON
This, Barnard’s, Chatham;
next Palace, Bath
(return)
Wire
PAUL MURAY
re Dates
12th Sep 1918 - Page 10.
The Ten Tommies began their third year of continuous tour auspiciously last week at the Hippodrome, Lowestoft where they broke all records for this theatre. This their fifth “all-in” record since Whit Week. They return to London next Monday to the Granville, Waltham Green, with many new songs and numbers written and produced by their enterprising author-composer, Mr Bert Danson.
10th October 1918 - Page 22.
The Ten Tommies began their third year of continuous tour auspiciously last week at the Hippodrome, Lowestoft where they broke all records for this theatre. This their fifth “all-in” record since Whit Week. They return to London next Monday to the Granville, Waltham Green, with many new songs and numbers written and produced by their enterprising author-composer, Mr Bert Danson.
10th October 1918 - Page 22.
THE TEN
TOMMIES
3rd Year
WHY BOOK
SPURIOUS IMITATIONS?
This, PAVILION, LIVERPOOL
Next EMP, ASHTON
VACANT
OCT 28, NOV 18, JAN 13, 20
FEB 3, 10 (?) and on with
Exceptions.
17th October 1918 - Page 12
THE TEN
TOMMIESThe original and only genuine all soldier
Entertainers, who have
“TOPPED” ALL ROUND MOSS
EMPIRES SYNDICATE, London
FIRST CLASS CONCERT
PARTY DATES
3 or 6 nights
THE TEN TOMMIES
Are the only party of entertainers extant
Who have received salaries of
£100 WEEKLY
And upwards, and hold
MORE RECORDS
At recognized theatres and halls than all
Other entertainers put together.
“ABSOLUTELY ORIGINAL and the
funniest we have ever seen” – Preston
Herald, August 31st 1918
THE TEN TOMMIES
17th October 1918 - Page 15.
Wanted, first class Pianist-Vocalist (discharged soldier only) – BERT DANSON, Ten Tommies, Empire, Ashton-u-Lyne, next, O H, Workington.
With thanks to Peter of the Lost Cousins website for the prompt to subscribe to The Stage archive.
I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.
I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.
William Duffield was my uncle although I never met him. I was very surprised to find mention of him in the Ten Tommies
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