MUD AND STARS AN ANTHOLOGY OF WORLD WAR SONGS AND POETRY EDITED BY DOROTHEA YORK AUSTRALIAN CHAPTER BY ARTHUR BOUGHTON NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY COPYRIGHT, I93I, BY DOROTHEA YORK first printiny Y ., amp gt . Ar PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To ARTHUR STANLEY BOUGHTON quot A quot COMPANY, 39TH BATTALION AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION xi AMERICAN SECTION I CHAPTER I ENLISTMENT AND CAMP SONGS . . 3 CHAPTER II THE SEA AND THE NAVY . . - 35 CHAPTER III FRANCE 50 CHAPTER IV MARCHING SONGS AND TRENCH BALLADS . . . . . 76 CHAPTER V WAR 105 CHAPTER VI AFTERMATH 161 CHAPTER VII THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN . .183 BRITISH SECTION 197 CHAPTER VIII ENGLAND AND THE EMPIRE . . 199 CHAPTER IX CANADA 245 CHAPTER X AUSTRALIA 262 BIBLIOGRAPHY 287 INDEX 297 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Although I have usually placed my specific acknowledg ments beneath each song or poem a practice that has some times led to a rather amusing coupling of distinguished names with very arrant nonsense in several cases I met with such extraordinary consideration that my special thanks are required. Occasionally too, I received general assist ance and encouragement that could not be attached to any one piece of work. Such grateful acknowledgments are due to representatives of the following firms Leo. Feist, Boosey and Company, Sherman Clay, M. Witmark, The Comhill Companyand more individually to Philip Von Blon and members of his staff of the American Legion Monthly Henry Mayers, of the A. E. F. Hymnal George Sir Archi bald Macdonell, KCB, CMC, DSO Colonel C. H. L. Sharman, CMG, CBE of the C. F. A. Mr. E. Pye of the Historical Section of the Department of National Defence Canada Colonel C, F. Cons tan tine, former Commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada Lt. von Klonow ski, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, and Charles Coburn of Better 7 01e fame Theophile Wendt, authority on South African songs , Dr. Ono, Mr. Hoshino, and Mr. Yamagiwa Miss Elizabeth Steele, Head of the Music and Drama De partment of the Detroit Public Library Mrs. Charles Mooney, Chairman Americanization Committee, D. A. R. Mr. John Dancy of the Urban League The Rev. Jerome E. Webber and Mrs Webber Miss Frances Locher, Miss Edith Pierce, Mrs. William Wise Mr. Frederick Protheroe and Mr. Fred Black and to the men who once formed quot A quot Company, 339th Infantry, A. N. R. E. F., especially Mr. E. H. Knox. INTRODUCTION A song is of all created things the most faithless, thorough rascal ever born and the most friendly for like some other gay roaring blades, he has his virtues. He is a rene gade and a turncoat, deserting his well-mated lyric at a moment s notice and scampering off to any distance for one moment he may be in church wedded to the most exalted and virtuous poem and in a month he may be found at the estaminet in disreputable company and running away with a shocking set of words, a perfect barmaid of verse. In war he will march under any flag and wear any coat with perfect impartiality, now roaring with patriotism for one nation, now for another, and always the scoundrel will embrace any attractive new theme, and then go rollicking over the world to the next, for language is no bar to him. He was surely the first quot citizen of the world. quot And soldier songs are the most cosmopolitan of them all rarely set down, always changing, always moving, and yet rather jolly vagabonds. To try to place them in prim rows, to analyze them, to say this was born here, travelled thus, and died there is impossible. They spring from anywhere or no where, they travel constantly and usually in several direc tions at once, and like good quot old soldiers quot they quot never die. 7 So I must crave your indulgence in my division of these incorrigibles into squads. It is only for our mutual con venience and not with any idea that I have really properly placed them or that they will stay there even for a moment. In fact I beg leave to doubt that anyone can properly ar range them...