Who was Kilroy?

Answer 1

Kilroy was a joke among soldiers. They would draw a cartoon of a man peeking up from above a wall, and caption it with the phrase "Kilroy was here." The cartoon itself was not as funny as the off the wall places soldiers would find to put it.

During WWII US ship builders cranked out a lot of merchant ships of a standardised type to compenaste for all thos ships sunk by the enemy. One of the Gov't people who were set to inspect the ships and approve them for use started scrawling "Kilroy was here" on the ships as proof of inspection and as his signature.

Answer 2

"Kilroy" was a popular expression during World War II, often accompanied by a doodle of a bald figure with a big nose peering over a wall. It was a way for American troops to leave their mark and signify that they had been in a certain location. The exact origin of Kilroy is disputed, but it became a symbol of American servicemen during the war.