To War, To War (A Bunbury Boy's War Poem)
poem in The Blackwood Times, Southern Times, COLLIE miner
Friday 9 October 1914
By A. G. M., an unknown Bunbury child
The Bunbury child who wrote this poem would have watched many community members leave to serve overseas. He never could have imagined that by the time he grew into an adult, the world would enter another world war, one in which he was old enough to fight in. The children pictured could never have known that the Great War uniforms they payed dress-ups in would one day resemble their own military uniforms when they served in the Second World War as real soldiers and nurses.
The British Empire is at stake
War upon the Germans make.
Come to the fore!
Ye brave men of British brand
And help defeat the 'Fatherland.'
Shall the Frenchmen e'er forget
The taking of Alsace-Lorraine?
No! They think it justly met,
When they meet the Germans again.
So France is with Britain joined, and lo!
They both shall route the common foe.
And then there are the Japs and Russians,
Who also hope to kill the Prussians
For though once between the two was war,
They both firm friends are once more.
Down with the German eagle.
Down with its Kaiser, "Bill."
Come! Ye avenging nations and make
The haughty German bow beneath your will.
revised poem in 1916 in the southern times
saturday 18 march 1916
To war! To war!
The Allied Empires are at stake,
War upon the "Kultur" make,
Come to the fore
You brave men of British brand,
And help defeat the ''Fatherland."
Can you hear
The thoughts of their sufferings—those men
Who fight outnumbered, five to ten ?
Can you not tear
Yourself away from the quiet life
And take your part in the battle and strife?
Does not the call
Of brave Belgian and Servian, oppressed
Spur you on to enlist, like the rest?
Oh, has all.
Your courage and manliness left you
Or has fear of death your senses bereft you?
Now is the time
For you and your friends to go out,
And face the foe in the terrible bout.
You also may climb
The ladder of honour, justice and right
By doing your best in this world wide fight.