Open Mike It was the McCalmans. On "Far, Far From Ypres" (Greentrax CDTrax1418). Amos Like most here, I found your first post inappropriate at first but then I did some thinking. In Edinburgh Castle, right in the middle, at its highest point, is The Scottish National War Memorial. There are plaques on the walls for most of the Scottish regiments and books, covered in red leather and bound in brass, with the names of the fallen. One such plaque is devoted to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps and depicts the various animals that were used in war, from horses to canaries. Taken there as a small child by my parents, I always found this particularly sad. All these feelings were brought back when I first heard this song, also written by Eric Bogle and also on the above CD. In WWI the Australian Light Horse took 53,000 horses overseas to various theatres of war and of the 53,000, one horse was allowed to return home (a general's horse of course!) The reason for the rest not being allowed to return home was the fear that they would spread anthrax to the Australian beef industry. In the French, Belgian and German theatres horses were sold or given to local farmers and peasants but in the Middle East it was believed that the locals were cruel to their animals so a decision was reached that the horses should be shot, Each man agreed to shoot his best friend's horse. "Recalling his days in Palestine, an old Light Horseman called Elijah Kohn who was in the Seventh Light Horse told of his horse, Banjo and of his best mate having to shoot Banjo. Even after 70 years, Elijah's eyes filled with tears. He'd forgotten the names of some of his mates, but he remembered the name of his horse, Banjo because, as he said, he reckoned it saved his life three or four times. It's bad enough what we do to human being during war but what we do to poor dumb animals is just as reprehensible." (from sleeve notes) AS IF HE KNOWS It's as if he knows He's standing close to me His breath warm on my sleeve His head hung low It's as if he knows What the dawn will bring The end of everything For my old Banjo And all along the picket lines beneath the desert sky The Light Horsemen move amongst their mates to say one last goodbye And the horses stand so quietly Row on silent row It's as if they know Time after time We rode through shot and shell We rode in and out of Hell On their strong backs Time after time They brought us safely through By their swift sure hooves And their brave hearts Tomorrow we will form up ranks and march down to the quay And sail back to our loved ones in that dear land across the sea While our loyal and true companions Who asked so little and gave so much Will lie dead in the dust. For the orders came No horses to return We were to abandon them To be slaves After all we'd shared And all that we'd been through A Nation's gratitude Was a dusty grave For we can't leave them to the people here, we'd rather see them dead So each man will take his best mate's horse with a bullet through the head For the people here are like their land Wild and cruel and hard So Banjo, here's your reward. It's as if he knows, he standing close to me, His breath warm on my sleeve, his head hung low. As he if he knew. Copyright Eric Bogle July 2001 I can't listen to this song without a lump in my throat. Eddie
|