The poem
These, in the day when heaven was falling, The hour when earth's foundations fled, Followed their mercenary calling And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended; They stood, and earth's foundations stay; What God abandoned, these defended, And saved the sum of things for pay.
Although first published in 1917 Houseman wrote the poem in 1914 shortly after the first battle of Ypres.The 'Mercenaries' in question are the regular soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force ( B.E.F) who, as profesional soldiers, had been labelled 'Mercenaries' in the German press earlier that year ( the German army was conscript). The irony of men fighting for 'money', as contrasted with conscripts seemingly…
Read the whole commentAlthough first published in 1917 Houseman wrote the poem in 1914 shortly after the first battle of Ypres.The 'Mercenaries' in question are the regular soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force ( B.E.F) who, as profesional soldiers, had been labelled 'Mercenaries' in the German press earlier that year ( the German army was conscript). The irony of men fighting for 'money', as contrasted with conscripts seemingly happy to fight for God and Kaiser probably appealled to Houseman who was an atheist.He was also extremely impressed with the B.E.F's fighting abilities. It is labelled an 'Epitaph' as the 100,000 strong Expeditionary force were mostly either dead or wounded by the time he wrote the poem.
EPITAPH FOR THE FLYING TIGERS
These, in the days when bombs were falling,
And peacetime service lacking thrills.
Took up the mercenary calling,
For triple pay and bonus kills.
Our Tigers held the bombs suspended,
Three hundred Spartans in Cathay.
What allies turned from, these defended,
And making history, won the day.
--Jim Boone
FN: With apologies to A.F. Houseman
Ended up carrying a copy with me for Desert Storm (1991). Helped me put up with accusations that we were fighting only for oil.