Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Leading His Men
in "It's a Long Road to Tipperary"
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Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Leading His Men
in "It's a Long Road to Tipperary"
Oh, who will drink a health with me?
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who sat aforetime
Where we sit to-night;
Brothers they, in peace and war-time,
Field of sport and field of fight:
Scattered now o'er land and sea,
Messmates all!
Stand up and drink with me!
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who lie in glory
On the field they won,
Beating out the Empire's story,
Warring with Napoleon, —
Men who died to keep us free,
Messmates all!
To our brethren far and alone!
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who lie forgotten
Far from all they knew,
'Mid the jungles dank and rotten, —
'Twixt the sand-glare and the blue;
Men who died and made no moan,
Messmates all!
To the near and far away!
Drink together, messmates all!
Bound in unity the race is
By the sword they drew,
Whether in the nameless places,
Paardeberg or Waterloo!
Years ago or yesterday,
Messmates all!
From Men of Men, by Cicely Fox Smith,
published by Sampson Low, Marston & Co.,
London, UK, 1900, pp. 93-94.
Who will drink a health with me?
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who sat aforetime
Where we sit to-night;
Brothers they, in peace and war-time,
Field of sport and field of fight:
Scattered now o'er land and sea,
Messmates all!
Stand up and drink with me!
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who lie in glory
On the field they won,
Beating out an Empire's story,
Warring with Napoleon, –
Men who died to keep us free,
Messmates all!
To our brethren far and lone!
Drink together, messmates all!
To the men who lie forgotten
Far from all they knew,
'Mid the jungles dank and rotten, –
'Twixt the sand-glare and the blue;
Men who died and made no moan,
Messmates all!
To the near and far away!
Drink together, messmates all!
Bound in unity the race is
By the sword they drew,
Whether in the nameless places,
Paardeberg or Waterloo!
Years ago and yesterday,
Messmates all!
The header graphic is a photograph titled Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Leading His Men in "It's a Long Road to Tipperary," World War 1, photographer unknown.