Sunday WW1 Remembered..

Morale Boosting Songs of WW1

Florrie Forde

Florrie Forde was a popular music hall entertainer who came to England, aged 21, from Australia. She made her first appearance on the London stage in 1897 and her powerful performances and charismatic stage presence meant that she was soon in demand. Her popularity, as a vaudeville act, made her one of the most sought after entertainers of the early twentieth century,

Her morale boosting songs during World War One were some of the most popular songs of the time.

These included songs which are still remembered today.

Down at the Old Bull and Bush

Pack Up Your Troubles in your old kit bag

It's a long way to Tipperary

Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty

Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty

Jack Dunn, son of a gun, somewhere in France today

Keeps fit doing his bit, up to his eyes in clay

Each night after a fight to pass the time along

He's got a little gramophone that plays this song

Take me back to dear old Blighty!

Put me on the train for London town

Take me over there

Drop me anywhere

Birmingham, Leeds, or Manchester, well, I don't care!

I should love to see my best girl

Cuddling up again we soon should be

(Whoa!)

Tiddley-iddley-ighty

Hurry me back to Blighty

Blighty is the place for me!

One day, Mickey O'Shea, out in a trench somewhere

So brave, having a shave, trying to part his hair

Mick yells, dodging the shells and lumps of dynamite:

"Talk of the Crystal Palace on a firework night!"

Take me back to dear old Blighty!

Put me on the train for London town

Take me over there

Drop me anywhere

Birmingham, Leeds, or Manchester, well, I don't care!

I should love to see my best girl

Cuddling up again we soon should be

(Whoa!)

Tiddley-iddley-ighty

Hurry me back to Blighty

Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty was written by Arthur J. Mills, Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott in 1916. It was popular during the First World War and tells a story of fictional soldiers on the Western Front suffering from homesickness and their longing to return to "Blighty"..

During a recent visit to the IWM (North) I bought a set of WW1 memorabilia which contained a few replica WW1 morale boosting postcards and came across this image of a soldier in the trenches listening to this song and imagining himself back home with his folks and his sweetheart.

You can listen to Florrie Forde sing Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty 

by clicking on the You Tube link below.