The Men who make Stew

[Ian E Scott]

  •
• We may point out all the factors that we think had won the war;
o We may boast of decorations men have won;
o We may talk about the good work of the Army Service Corps,
o Or the men who stood behind a Lewis gun;
o But there's just one group of Sqaddies to whom words of praise are due;
o It's the greasy, grimy chaps that kept the troops supplied with stew.
• We may think back on the dangers of the old days on the Somme,
o We may prate about hard times in Palestine
o But we never had to worry where our food was coming from
o When we stood in mud and water in the Line.
o For we knew that, black and grimy, somewhere just beyond the Fuss,
o Were some good old brother Sqaudies making army stew for us.
• We may brag about the dangers that we faced through nights of storm,
o When the Huns threw hurtful scraps of steel about;
o While we cursed old Kaiser Willhelm till the atmosphere grew warm,
o And we wondered when the Heads would pull us out.
o But the cooks were ever cooking, through the cold and rain and heat
o For they had to feed the army; and the troops must always eat.
• We may growl about the marches that we did on blistered feet,
o With backs that almost broke beneath the strain;
o But the blessed cooks were with us and we had some grub to eat,
o To feed the worms and ease our stomach pain.
o And an epicurean pleasure, and a certain peace of mind
o Was engendered by the knowledge of the cookers on behind.
• Armies march upon their stomachs, so old Bonaparte has said.
o And thoughts like this have come to not a few
o There's a great sustaining power for the fighting men ahead
o In a dixie full of hot and steaming stew.
o And our hearts were singing praises as we backed our carts for more
o To the grimy, greasy Squaddie cooks who helped to win the war.

Courtesy of Bob Nicol on Army Catering Corps Facebook Page