Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959) was a British soldier, illustrator and author and creator of a€ Old Billa€(TM), the cartoon character who perhaps best illustrated the practical philosophy of the British private soldier during World War I. After training at Art School he produced advertising posters for products such as Lipton Tea, Players Tobacco and Flowers Beer. On the outbreak of the First World War he rejoined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and within a couple of weeks had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. While on the Western Front, he drew pictures of trench life and in 1915 The Bystander magazine began publishing his drawings which proved extremely popular with the soldiers in the trenches. Later his drawings were published in a series of books entitled, Fragments From France. Bullets and Billets (1916) is his best-selling autobiography. Other works include From Mud to Mufti (1919), Carry on Sergeant (1927), Laughing Through the Orient (1933), Old Bill Looks at Europe (1935) and Old Bill Stands By (1939).