Braw Lads are Marching Awa: Renfrewshire Poets of the Great War
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'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 archaeologist.
'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.
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Book preview
Braw Lads are Marching Awa - Tracy Patrick
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
earthlovepoetrymagazine@yahoo.com
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