Coast Artillery Song

DESCRIPTION: "Oh they said the coast artillery would never go to war, And all that they were fit for was to hang around the shore," but the British Expeditionary Force needs artillery, so the Coast Artillery is off to support the Tommies against the Hun
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 2008 (Silverman-BalladsAndSongsOfWWI; Silverman says this is from THe Army Songbook -- but does not list an edition)
KEYWORDS: soldier | artillery World War I
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Silverman-BalladsAndSongsOfWWI, pp. 198-199, "Coast Artillery Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [85 words]: "Marshal French" is Field Marshal John French, who commanded the British Expeditionary Force at the beginning of World War I. His performance in the first weeks of the war was competent, but trench warfare seemed to wear him down; he was relieved in 1915.
The B.E.F. was mostly an infantry force, typically deployed outside Britain, so it really was relatively light on artillery. So it could genuinely use help. I have not heard of the British plundering their coastal artillery to supply the lack,though. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.1
File: SWWI198

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