“Kilroy Was Here”-A Story from World War II

The original Kilroy was James J. Kilroy (1902-1962), who lived in Quincy, Massachusetts. He signed his work as he did his job as a ship inspector. The face that now always accompanies “Kilroy Was Here” was added later.

The words, “Kilroy Was Here,” alongside a drawing of a long-nosed, bald fellow peering over a wall still pop up occasionally on walls and buildings, but the origin of “Kilroy was Here” belongs to World War  II.  

Who Was Kilroy?

The “Kilroy was Here” story began at Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, where James Kilroy worked. During World War II, the pressure was on to build ships quickly. The shipyard staff needed to increase production to turn out as many ships as possible for the war effort.  

Kilroy was an inspector. As the ships took form, each stage had to be carefully checked. Part of the job involved counting the number of rivets in each section of the ship. The rivets needed to be properly placed and carefully tightened. That was what James Kilroy looked over before going on to the next part of the ship. After each section was inspected, the next part of the ship could be built. As Kilroy made his inspections—often going into tight spaces and down into tanks—he counted the rivets as he went. He then used a waxy chalk to leave a checkmark showing that he had seen and approved the area.

Riveters were paid on a piecework basis, and their pay was calculated by the rivet. After Kilroy left for the day, the workers sometimes erased the mark so that the inspector on the next shift would come through and count their work for a second time. This increased their pay.

After a time, one of the shipyard supervisors called Kilroy into his office to discuss the situation. The supervisor noted that often the number of rivets exceeded the portions of the ships that were completed.

Puzzling Through the Rivet Count

Kilroy thought through the circumstances. He worried that the men were tampering with his checkmarks, so he needed a failsafe system. Using paint to make his mark would be tamper-proof, but if he had to carry a paint can in and out of all the tight spaces he checked, it would be cumbersome. He decided to maintain his system with an addition: He left his checkmark and added “Kilroy was here” in over-sized letters to make any erasure more difficult.

Word got around the Quincy shipyard as to why Kilroy was signing his work. The message was clear to the riveters: don’t tamper with the inspection count.

No Time for Paint Jobs

Normally all inspection marks would have been covered by a coat of paint before the ship was launched. But because of the urgency of the war, many of the ships were leaving the coast with “Kilroy Was Here” marked in various locations of the ship.

Servicemen everywhere began seeing the signature but they had no idea as to the meaning behind it.

And Then There Was Chad

The sketch of the long-nosed fellow peering over the wall actually originated in the United Kingdom. The British were frustrated by rationing and the shortages necessitated by the war, so Chad often appeared with a British-ism: “Wot no petrol?” Or “Wot no sugar?”—a particular hardship for the British who often added sugar to their morning tea.

The British navy called the long-nosed character “The Watcher;” the army, “Private Snoops.” Both civilians and military enjoyed sketching Chad where they could.

One writer, a fellow named Eric Shackle, speculated in an article he wrote in 2005 that Chad may have originated with cartoonist George Edward Chatterton. Chatterton was a British cartoonist who served with the RAF as artist-photographer from 1938-1950, and he was nicknamed “Chat.”

Family Confirms

An interview was conducted in 2011 with some of Kilroy’s grown children, and they explained that the signature “Kilroy was Here” stood alone in the beginning: “My father did not put that logo on it, and he was never really sure where it occurred. There are different scenarios…[as to how] it got attached to ‘Kilroy was Here’ and became part of the legend,” says Margaret Kilroy Fitzgerald. This information and video was sent to me by Kathy Hogan who along with her husband live in Quincy, Massachusetts. The couple has dedicated themselves to correcting history and to keeping Kilroy’s name alive.

The Legend Begins

While no one is sure when the signature and the drawing were permanently united, what we do know is that at some point during the war, “Chad” and “Kilroy” were paired.

“Kilroy Was Here” soon became a popular message to leave at various destinations. Before long, Kilroy’s mark had been noted throughout Europe and in the South Pacific. The men soon found it a favorite amusement to see how many places Kilroy could appear.

Many believe that “Kilroy Was Here” was a morale-builder. When G.I.’s arrived at a new location, they enjoyed seeing that American soldiers had been through the area, signing Kilroy’s name.

After the war, the graffiti became so popular that it is said to have been written in places as varied as Mount Everest and the Arc de Triomphe. It also continues to be used by soldiers. One can find “Kilroy Was Here” in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Real Kilroy

As time went on, the public became curious about the origin of the story. There were more than a couple of “James Kilroys” who fought in World War II, so rumors as to identity came up occasionally. But who was the true Kilroy?

In 1946, the American Transit Association ran a radio contest to identify Kilroy. As a prize, the transit company offered to deliver a real trolley car to the person who was found. About 40 men stepped forward with stories stating that they were the Kilroy on which the legend was based.

However, James Kilroy, the former inspector at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, had the most compelling story; he was awarded the trolley car.

By this time, he and his family lived in Halifax, Massachusetts. The trolley car was delivered to his home and thoroughly enjoyed by his nine children. (The video sent by Kathy Hogan  also contains memories of the fun the family enjoyed having a real trolley car in their yard. )

When Kilroy died in 1962, his fame was such that his passing was noted in an obituary in The New York Times.

Fittingly, “Kilroy Was Here” is written in two locations on the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Quincy, Massachusetts Today

Quincy now has a new downtown courtyard named after Kilroy. Kilroy Square is easily accessible and is a popular location for the weekly farmer’s market. There are also restaurants and shops in the area. The architecture is done in a style that is reminiscent of the city’s storied industrial past. 

Twenty years ago, Kathy and Frank Hogan became active with “Discover Quincy,” and have  done all they can to correct the story (my story included!) about the fact that Chad and Kilroy came from two creators.

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To read another story of World War II, check out Dorie Miller’s story. He was a Black member of the Navy, so he was relegated to kitchen duty. However, when Pearl Harbor was struck, he proved he was a true hero.

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