Shortened to just Tommy during WW1, but most soldiers referred to British soldiers as these. from Wiki: Tommy Atkins - or Thomas Atkins - has been used as a generic name for a common British soldier for many years. The precise origin is a subject of debate, but it is known to have been used as early as 1743. A letter sent from Jamaica about a mutiny amongst the troops says "except for those from N. America (mostly Irish Papists) ye Marines and Tommy Atkins behaved splendidly". The surname Atkins means "little son of red earth", a reference to the soldiers in their red tunics.
