Searching for the origin of a poem

Posted by James Briggs on April 27, 2002

This is a poem I read when I was a boy, in about 1944. It was one of the chapter introductions in a boys' book about the First World War. My memory is that there was no author named. A 'Google' search comes up with nothing. Does anyone have an idea as to the author? Thanks

Got over Cambrai and cocked my gun.
An Archie said "woof", and I started to run.
I crossed the lines at half past two,
And the Fokkers turned back as they usually do.

Travelled north again with my heart in my mouth.
Met the same old Fokkers and couldn't get south.
I took one look and my spirit broke;
Here come a lot of bullets all a'trailing blue smoke.

I looked at the ground and I caught my breath,
I was right over Thiacourt, City of Death.
But I kept on a'coming as hard as I could fly,
A'peeling my eyes for a cloud in the sky.

Dun sur Meuse loomed up on the way,
And I thought, " by golly I' m done for today ".
But I reached my field and I side-slipped in,
And the boys all laughed and said, "where you bin?"

• No luck yet ESC 04/28/02