Gang Warfare In Glasgow Between The Wars

[jerseygirl]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the gangs of the inter-wars years used to have specific tatoos? Dad had a dirk tattoed on his leg but would not talk about it.

[Currie]

Hello Jerseygirl,

There’s a book “Tongs Ya Bas” about the history of Glasgow’s street gangs but I’ve no idea if it would be of any use to you.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... +ya+bas%22

If it was a ‘hidden’ or ‘secret’ tattoo perhaps it wasn’t common knowledge to outsiders.

Alan

[Hibee]

I think that very few people, other than sailors, had tattoos in those days.

So, if he wasn't a mariner, there may well have been some significant reason behind it.

Hibee

[ninatoo]

Actually, when searching the WW1 soldiers records at Ancestry, I have formed the opinion that quite a lot of men had tattoos back then, because descriptions of the tattoos were listed in the 'identifying marks' section of the paperwork. Just my opinion, and who knows, they may have all gone out and got at tattoo before reporting for duty in an attempt to look tough and manly, or something!!!

[jerseygirl]

Thanks all,

Will check out that book - sounds as though it might be helpful.

Well, he was in the Merchant Navy in the later stages of the war (1944), but appears to have signed on in Canada rather than over here! How he got to Canada and what he was doing there is something of a mystery. As far as I can tell he left Glasgow in some form of service just prior to/immediately on the outbreak of war. Disappeared, turned up in SIngapore just in time to escape (Feb 1942) . Disappeared again, Turned up in the West Indies and married a Barbadian girl. Somewhere about here he managed to enlist with the US Coastguard. Disappeared again, only to reappear in Montreal and sign on a mediterranean bound British Merchant ship (for full details see the here again gone again man). Any suggestions as to how he managed this would be gratefully recieved.

[momat]

Google has several articles relating to this.
Here is an excerpt from the book.

Tongs Ya Bas: The Explosive History of Glasgow's Street Gangs - R. G. MacCallum

This is the story of Glasgow's street gangs!

"Next to nothing has been written or documented about the vibrant social phenomena of the Glasgow gangs..." claims the author of this book in his foreword.

This then, is the author's attempt to remedy this.

His research takes him back to the 1870s, though there have probably been gangs in glasgow long before this.

Whatever area of Glasgow you come from you will know something about a gang. You may even know someone involved in a gang.

Spend any amount of time in Glasgow and sooner or later you will hear mention of a gang, or at least the gangs of Glasgow's past.

This book is a cracking history of Glasgow gangs. It is written with a tongue in cheek nod to academia, though that 'style' is knocked on the head by the typical wit (in a good way) and humour of the Glaswegian. In other words it is 'well' written without the constraints of the sociologist who has a publishing deadline.

This history, is somewhat anecdotal, and without a doubt there are exaggerations, which the author has more than likely identified in his research - he does make this clear. Aside from the news reports, which the author has sneered at, he has used mainly evidence from people, real people. People who knew the characters in the gangs, people who were the characters in the gangs.

As well as the gangs proper, there were the 'Young teams' and there were the girl gangs as well. Now we are not talking about a couple of girls who might be in it for a bit of girl power. We are talking proper hard-nut women who played their part in gang activities. The author gives a very good account of the girls who were gang members.

You can't discuss Glasgow without the ugliness of Glasgow's particular take on religion rearing its head. For some gangs, their religious background, or where they lived gave a particular slant to how they conducted business and who it was with (or against).

These gangs have some rather interesting names and the book goes some way to explaining how they got their names, or at least theorizing as to how they were named. There is a good chance that the title of the book isn't going to mean a thing to anyone outwith Glasgow. The fact is, when thought about, it doesn't really mean anything clear to the people of Glasgow, the phrase has taken on a bit of a secondary meaning. This book attempts to explain where the word Tongs came from in naming a gang, and also proposes where the term 'ya bas' came from and what it really means.

There is a rather long list at the rear of the gangs of Glasgow, and the author attempts to define the 'where and when' formed where relevant. There is also a 'gangography' which arranges the gangs not by name but by area.

This book will be 'enjoyed' by anyone with an interest in Glasgow and the well-neglected (or should that be badly-neglected) history of working-class culture.

[Andrew C.]

I would have thought the term "ya bas" was self explantory and the Tongs and Toi relate to a film that was out in the sixties about gangs somewhere in the far east which the galsgow gangs adopted.

[momat]

I would have thought the term "ya bas" was self explanatory and the Tongs and Toi relate to a film that was out in the sixties about gangs somewhere in the far east which the galsgow gangs adopted.

Only if you know the GLASGOW Patois !!
Not everyone goes to gang movies.