Braw Lads are Marching Awa

By Tracy Patrick

This anthology of poetry from the Renfrewshire archives charts the history of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it. Published in the Paisley & Renfrewshire Gazette 1914-1918, these are the voices of those who experienced the front line, and those who waited at home. Poignant, heartfelt, witty and uniquely Renfrewshire, this is the first time these poems have been aired since they were read by the people of the district over one hundred years ago. In putting this collection together, I feel like I have journeyed with whose experiences I aimed to document. It is as much a testimony to the human spirit as it is to the continuing horrors of war.

'Having delved deep in the archives, Tracy Patrick presents this evocative collection of First World War poetry with a Renfrewshire connection. Sometimes patriotic, sometimes cynical, and even darkly comic, but often grim and tragic, these voices from the "Great War" speak to us of hope and loss.' ​Louise Turner, author and archeologist.

'The human spirit of strength and bravery and stoicism in the worst of circumstances shines through these poems. The fact that so many young soldiers were moved to write poetry about their horrendous war experiences says much about the wrongness of war itself. A fine anthology.' Betty McKellar, poet.  

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: earth love press
• Release date: Mar 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781739704452

Book preview

BRAW LADS ARE MARCHING AWA

Renfrewshire Poets of the Great War

Selected and introduced

by Tracy Patrick

earth love press

First published by earth love press 2022

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher

This anthology and introduction © Tracy Patrick 2022

Tracy Patrick is hereby identified as editor of this work in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9781739704452 ebook

Cover image: Men of the 6th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Ypres-Comines Canal, Passchendaele, 1 October 1917. Photograph by Brooke, John Warwick (Lieutenant) ©Imperial War Museum (Q6035)

Cover design: earth love press

Typeset by earth love press in Baskerville Old Face

Printed and bound by Imprint Academic

Seychelles Farm, Upton Pyne, Exeter, Devon, EX5 5HY

With kind acknowledgement to the Heritage Centre at Abbeymill Business Centre, operated by OneRen. https://www.oneren.org/culture/museums/museums-and-heritage-venues/heritage-centre/

Contents

Introduction 1

~1914~

The Whir of War  J. WEBSTER  5

The Dear Auld Toon o’ Seestu  R. PENDER  6

Such is War D. GIBSON  7

What’s the Use  J. WEBSTER  10

White Socks  A NUT  11

Christmas 1914  J. WEBSTER  12

Tae a Hogmanay Getherin’  J.P.C.  13

~1915~

At Bedford  A PIPER  17

A War Station Wail  NO. 2261, 6TH HLI  18

The Horse  R. FERRIE  19

Untitled  A YEOMAN  20

The Unknown Dead  UNATTRIBUTED  22

We Must Have Men  CELERINA  24

Dear Daddy  C.W.W.  27

Tommy Atkins’ Song  MRS TAYLOR 28

My Soldier Lad  D. GIBSON  29

Hope  J.C. WHITAKER  30

Our Soldier Boys  MARS  31

The 27th Division  A PAISLEY SOLDIER 32

The Motor Drive for Wounded Soldiers  SANDY MCLACHALN  34

To M –  J.S.  36

The Thin Red Line  J.D.  37

In Memory of Sergeant James Reston  J.R. 38

The Paisley Lads at the Front  ANONYMOUS  40

A Dumb Comrade  MRS TAYLOR  42

Is it Nothing to You  C.W.W.  44

The Miracle  D. GIBSON  45

Verses from the Dardanelles  PTE JOHN MCKINSTRY  47

The Highlander’s Lament  J.D.  48

In Memoriam  ARCHIBALD MCPHEE  50

Allah’s Land  TANNAHILL REID  52

The 35th Field Ambulance  PTE PATRICK MCELHONEY  53

The Absentee  J. MCN.  55

Recollections  G.L.G.  57

The Dying Irish and Scottish Soldiers  JAS DUROSS  58

A Marching Song  A.K.D.  60

The Heroes of the 81st Brigade  MEG SINCLAIR  62

To Autumn 1915  GEO PATON  65

Just a Story  D.G.  66

Memories  ANONYMOUS  68

Newton  J.K.  70

In Memoriam  C.W.W. 72

The Boys Again  OLD BROWN BEAR 73

Sing Me to Sleep  PTE THOMAS SHARP 75

~1916~

A Light Subject  WILLIAM PAUL 79

Attempt to Torpedo a Ship  NEIL MCFADYEN 81

Gleniffer  J.K. 83

Braw Lads are Marching Awa’  L.W.R. 85

A Dramatic Incident in the Great War  LANCE CORPORAL M DORAN 87

Military Motorists  ONE OF THEM  88

Sulva Bay  PTE H.J. O’NEIL and PTE J. SCOLLANS 90

To the Brave Mothers  GEO PATON  92

Melodeon Wanted PTE WILLIAM MORRISON 93

To Stanley Millar  W.A.M. 95

A Day in a Soldier’s Life as Told in Hymns  A PAISLEY SOLDIER 96

Lochwinnoch  A LOCAL LAD 97

The 1st Battalion Scots Guards  R. ADAMSON 98

The Kaiser’s Dream  A READER 101

The Heart’s Question GEO PATON 102

Ten Commandments A PAISLEY OFFICER 103

A Paisley Soldier on the Anniversary of his Birthday  ANONYMOUS 104

~1917~

Memories of Loos BARDIE MCPHEE 107

Eventide  W. HAINEY 109

An Allotment Partnership  JAMES STRACHAN  110

A Dream  PTE J GUTHRIE  113

Rain  A WEST-END BOY  114

His Last Wish  A.L. BLACK  115

The Inniskillings’ Farewell  J.S. O’NEILL 116

In Memoriam  ROBERT HOUSTON  118

The Trolley Queen  AN EX-SCHOOLMASTER 119

A Gleniffer Braes Reverie  REV. W. PAUL MONTMATH 120

In Memory  T. GILBERT PATON  122

An Appreciation  R.V.M.  123

On the Road  MORAG MORRISON 124

Christmas 1917 OLD BROWN BEAR 125

~1918~

Thoughts of a Wounded Soldier  PTE J. MILLER FAIRLIE 129

The Avengers  D. GIBSON  130

Evacuated to Hospital  A.L. WILSON 131

In Memoriam  HOUSTONFIELD 133

Missing  ANONYMOUS 134

A Corner of France  J.R.M. 135

Christmas 1918  OLD BROWN BEAR 136

After the War  ANONYMOUS 138

Introduction

The following poems are sourced from The Paisley & Renfrewshire Gazette 1914-18, available in the OneRen Heritage Centre archives. They are presented here as First World War poetry from the Renfrewshire area by writers whom, as far as I can ascertain, lived in, or had a connection with, Renfrewshire.

I have made editorial choices that reflect my own feelings on the subject of war, omitting, for example, the feverish propagandist poetry written during the early stages of the war. Such populism, in my opinion, does not stand the test of truth or time.

Therefore, my selections reflect those poems I feel resonate across the century plus since they were written. Some were chosen for their language, often a mix of Scots and Renfrewshire dialect, others for their form and skill, insight, humour and Renfrewshire roots. Where jingoistic terminology does occur, I hope it can be seen as an expression of time and circumstance.

It is worth noting that most poems appeared prior to 1916. After the Somme, lists of casualties grew, the Gazette’s pages were cut to cope with paper shortages, and the tone of enthusiasm was noticeably dimmed.

No doubt there are other poems in the archives waiting to be discovered, but I will leave that task for another enthusiast. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the selection represented here, from people who lived, loved and laboured within Renfrewshire, who trod the same streets, took pleasure in the same braes and glens, and whose future and peace were shattered by the brutal slaughter of 1914-18, now known as the First World War, and whose voices we can still hear through their poems.

                    Tracy Patrick

"Yet the poor fellows think they are safe! They think that the war is