World War One is a sketch that appears in "Mr and Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular," the twenty-eighth episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Synopsis[]
A Chinese fish bites into a ship, causing it to start sinking. The captain (Terry Jones) informs all passengers to not panic or rush for the lifeboats, proclaiming women and children first. He is later seen, among other officers, who strip their uniforms off to disguise themselves as women and children. Another officer (John Cleese) tells him to add Red Indians as it was the only thing left. Another officer (Terry Gilliam) tells him to add spacemen as well before seeing an officer (Eric Idle) putting on some sort of costume the other two officers (Graham Chapman and Michael Palin) tell him it is a Flemish Merchant. The officer objects and replies that it is 'more a sort of idealized version of the complete Renaissance Man'. While the other officers object, the captain complies. But by then, it is already too late as the ship has completely sunk.