Recruiting - Sligo Poets

   Sligo Champion 20 March 1915
        “Arise Ye Sons of Britain”.

The following letter and poem has been sent to Mrs Perceval, and she thought, perhaps, the CHAMPION, might like to publish it. Corporal Deane and his father and mother are well known by Mrs. Perceval.

Temple House, Ballymote, December 30th, 1914.

From 3329 Cpl. Cecil Deane (to his father). No. 2 Company, 1st Battn. Irish Guards.
17th December , 1914.
Dear Dad—Received your letter all right and thank you for it. I don’t think football should be stopped, anyway.
I am sending a little poem written by Sergeant McCusker when he was in the trenches, and I would like you to try to get it published for me and send me the paper it is in. He has been here since the start and in the thick of it all the time. He does not think it is any good, but most of us, who have read it, think it fine.
I am still in good health and hope you are all well at home.—Your loving son, CECIL.

By No. 1910. Sergeant McCusker, No. 2 Company, Ist Battn. Irish Guards.

Arise ye sons of Britain, and answer to the call,
The Motherland is waiting and watching for you all,
Then, roll up, my countrymen, and let the Kaiser see,
We are ready to help the weak and set brave Belgium free.

So join brave Kitchener’s army; I know you have no fear,
No conscripts or pressed men—you will always volunteer,
The men who went before you have nobly done their share,
The Kaiser used to laugh at them—he can do nothing now but stare.

We have shown them how the British fight—at Mons, the Marne, and Aisne,
And at Landrécies, where in thousands the German Huns were slain;
We don’t wear Iron Crosses for looting ruined homes,
Or assaulting helpless women, then laughing at their moans.

The day has come—that longed for day—when Germany thought that she
Would surely beat us on the land and be masters of the sea,
But we will beat them yet boys, for we will never yield,
We are masters on the ocean still and masters on the field.

She is the boasted land of culture, but look at ruined Louvain,
That great old seat of learning; there is nothing left but pain
In the hearts of all her students, wherever they be found,
At the thought of that noble building now levelled to the ground.

“Peace on earth, good-will to men,” the Master Emperor said;
No peace today, but all the blame lies on the Kaiser’s head,
So now my sing is ended, long life to General French,
And that “contemptible little army,” the boys that hold the trench.

These are a selection of the recruiting and pro-war poems published in the Sligo Champion during 1915. Conscription had not yet been introduced in any part of the United Kingdom and there were constant appeals for recruits for Kitchener's "new army".

The Irish-American community were largely against helping the British Empire in the war in the belief that Germany victory would hasten the achievement of Irish independence. The Clan na Gael organisation, led by John Devoy and Joseph McGarrity, had strong contacts with the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland and their newspaper The Gaelic American was widely read and very influential among Irish Americans.

I have not been able to find any song entitled Germany with Ireland by Mona Monaghan but one might have been published in the Gaelic American newspaper.

Die Wacht am Rhein (The Watch/Guard on the Rhine) is a German patriotic anthem particularly popular in Germany during the First World War. "German stein" refers to the tradition German/Bavarian beer mug. The German Imperial shipbuilders was at Wilhelmhave; Ballynoe is in County Cork.

The reference to football in the Arise, Ye Sons of Britain letter reflects the controversy as regarding football (soccer) and the war. Cricket and rugby competitions stopped almost immediately after the outbreak of the First World War but the Football League continued. Most football players were professionals and were tied to clubs through one-year renewable contracts. Players could only join the armed forces if the clubs agreed to cancel their contracts.

There were many appeals to clubs to cancel contracts and allow players enlist. The Football Association eventually backed down and called for football clubs to release professional footballers who were not married, to join the armed forces and many footballers did enlist. More on football and World War I here.

    Sligo Champion 5 June 1915
           Wanted at the Front.

           WHY DON’T YOU GO?
(By L., North Derry, in the "Derry Journal.")
                           I.
Out in the trenches our brave boys are falling,
Oft fighting in water, oft sleeping in snow.
Feather-bed heroes your country is calling!
What are you waiting for? Why don’t you go?
                           II.
Mothers are mourning, and sisters are weeping,
Heroes are dying—their face to the foe—
Under the dark sod our loved ones are lying;
More men are wanted there—Why don’t you go?
                           III.
Men of our Province, the Empire is calling!
Do not our brave deeds set your bosoms aglow
Throw down your spades and pick up your rifle,
Shoulder your share of it—Why don’t you go?
                            IV.
See the boys marching ’neath Liberty’s banner!
Mark the proud set of them, row after row
Have you no pride in the land that has bred you?
What are you thinking of—Why don’t you go?
                             V.
Will you seek safety while others are striving?
Will you ignobly look on at the show?
Where is your manhood, young men of the homeland?
Quick! get a hustle on—Why don’t you go?