King George you can count on me
Recruiting messages were adjusted to reflect the heightened public awareness of death and destruction. Typical in this regard is King George you can Count on Me, which combines the “grand adventure” mentality while acknowledging – and at the same time trivializing – the discomforts soldiers experience. The first verse, included in the display below, is directed at those who are eligible to enlist but have not.
(King George you can Count on Me, music by Cecil Birkett,
text by F.W.E. Bartholomew, v.1)
Your brother's “in line,” in the trenches,
“Doing his bit” for you
Laughing at many privations
Comforts, all too few!
Trusting in God and his country,
To look after those in his care
Show us what stuff you are made of?
Take his place in the line, if you dare!