FEW could have left their 'mark' in history more prominently than the politician who inspired the worldwide 'Kilroy Was Here' legend that appeared on walls and every other available surface during the Second World War.

James J. Kilroy, was a shipyard inspector in Quincy, Massachusetts, as well as being active in politics. And he routinely chalked his saying on ships and crates of equipment to indicate that he had checked them.

This info has surfaced after a yedscratter appeared recently on this page, asking who Kilroy was. The raft of feedback included the above details from Kevin Heneghan of North Road who adds that the phrase travelled globally, via shipping, being quickly copied by American GIs wherever they went.

Kilroy died in Boston in 1962, aged 60 . . . and, according to one source, he had become the most widely 'published' man since Shakespeare!

Our English equivalent was the ubiquitous cartoon figure, Mr Chad, whose bald head and large nose were shown appearing over a brick wall and inquiring 'Wot, no ... (..blank space to be filled in)?' The completed sentiment always formed a comment on some shortage during and after the 1939-45 war.

One commanding officer became so annoyed about the number of Mr Chads appearing around his barracks that he threatened 28 days confined to barracks for the next offender. Returning to his office he saw, staring back at him from his blotter, a Mr Chad commenting: 'Wot, only 28 days?'

The Kilroy mystery was also cleared up by Derek Chisnall of Surrey Street, Parr, adding that the old inspector became so famous that a comedy film was made in 1947 with the title Kilroy Was Here. Starring Jackie Cooper and Jackie Coogan, it tells of the innocent victim of a 'Kilroy was here' joke.

Kevin and Derek were also pretty much in unison in explaining another old saying, 'A Life of Riley', meaning to have a whale of a time. This was raised by a reader a week or two ago.

The saying might well have arisen from a comic song written by Pat Rooney of 'The Dancing Rooneys' vaudeville act of the 1880s. The song's hero, Riley (or Reilly) tells of what he'd do if he struck it rich, promising that New York would "swim in wine when the White House and Capitol are mine".

Others believe that it can be sourced to a 1919 song with the line... "but I'm living the life of Reilly just the same".