Miles Behind the Lines

DESCRIPTION: "We had a windy sergeant, A very windy sergeant... When we were standing to... He was pottering in the dugout... Miles behind the lines." "And we had a sergeant-major Who never fired a gun"; he was commended but was always behind the lines
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 2014 (Pegler-SoldiersSongsAndSlangoftheGreatWar)
KEYWORDS: soldier cowardice
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Pegler-SoldiersSongsAndSlangoftheGreatWar, p. 334, "Miles Behind the Lines" (1 text)
NOTES [62 words]: Pegler-SoldiersSongsAndSlangoftheGreatWar lists the tune of this as "Probably 'I Wore A Red, Red, Rose.'" This would presumably be "When You Wore a Tulip." The fact that Pegler doesn't know the tune is perhaps indicative, however. No version I've seen of this lists where it was found, and some of the lines float. I am not entirely sure this is a true soldiers' song. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.1
File: PSoS334

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