Dying Soldier, (III) The

DESCRIPTION: "A youth lay on the battlefield of France's blood-stained soil ... The Red Cross nurse beside him ..." Nurse promises to send a letter, book and bible to his mother and his love to his sweetheart
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1951 (Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports; MUNFLA/Leach)
KEYWORDS: promise war death France lament soldier love separation
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Guigné-ForgottenSongsOfTheNewfoundlandOutports, pp. 114-116, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
Doyle-OldTimeSongsAndPoetryOfNewfoundland, "The Dying Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune): pp. 65-66 in the 3rd edition
Leach-FolkBalladsSongsOfLowerLabradorCoast 86, "Blood-Stained Soil" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #4428
RECORDINGS:
Monica Rossiter, "The Dying Soldier" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Valley of Kilbride" (subject of Newfoundlanders dying in World War I)
cf. "Soldier's Last Letter" (subject of Newfoundlanders dying in World War I)
cf. "The July Drive" (subject of Newfoundlanders dying in World War I)
NOTES [83 words]: Leach-FolkBalladsSongsOfLowerLabradorCoast says "This is a World War I song, made in Newfoundland according to the singer" - BS
As you see, Bennett Schwartz, who indexed this song, dates it to World War I, and this seems almost certainly correct. The red cross nurse dates it after the Crimean War, which leaves only the World Wars as possibilities; the dates of the collection argue for the first war.
For Newfoundland's heavy casualties in World War I, see the notes to "The Valley of Kilbride." - RBW
Last updated in version 6.0
File: Doyl3065

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