Bruce Bairnsfather , the son of Thomas Bairnsfather and Amelia Every, was born in Muree, India, in 1887. Bruce's father was a lieutenant in the Bengal Infantry. 
After attending schools in India and Stratford-upon-Avon, Bruce joined the British Army.
Bairnsfather found army life boring and enrolled as an art student at the Hassall School of Art.  On the outbreak of the First World War Bairnsfather rejoined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

During the Christmas of 1914, Bairnsfather came close to being court-martialed after joining German soldiers in what later became known as the Christmas Truce.
While on the Western Front, Bairnsfather drew pictures of trench life and in 1915 The Bystander magazine began publishing his drawings. During his task of training new recruits at the Albany Barracks on the Isle of Wight,
Bairnsfather created his famous cartoon character Old Bill.
Bairnsfather's drawings were published in a series of books entitled: Fragments from France. He also published two books on his war experiences, Bullets & Billets (1916) and From Mud to Mufti (1919).
During the Second World War Captain Bairnsfather was appointed as an official cartoonist to the American Forces in Europe. This included contributing drawings for the American Forces newspaper, Stars and Stripes.   
Bruce Bairnsfather died in 1959.

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"There goes our
blinkin' parapet
again."

"Well, if you knows
of a better 'ole,
go to it."

"The things that
matter."

"The Fatalist."

"So obvious."

"Keeping his
hand in."

"Happy memories
of the Zoo."

"The professional
touch."

"Trouble with one
of the souvenirs."

"The nest."

"The Push."
in three chapters

"No possible
doubt whatever."