Gentleman Rankers

The lower ranks of the Army served as an anonymous refuge for many disgraced or impoverished gentlemen (including at least one old schoolfriend of Kipling). Out of place among the troopers, shunned by the officer class, the "poor little lambs" offer a different light on -- and an indictment of -- the rigid class system giving rise to their plight. Kipling's portrait is sympathetic but clear-eyed and singularly unromantic. There are suggestions that he was displeased by such softenings of the harsh edges of his poem as the "Whiffenpoof Song" -- we hope he might have approved more of Peter's setting and Brian's dry treatment of it.

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

George Manington in his book "A Soldier of the Legion", 1907, about his service in the French Foreign Legion wrote about several titled aristocrats in his barracks. They were serving as ordinary recruits and soldiers. They were from the continental families not British. As an aside to this. Many titled families in Britain sent their 'problem' children to the colonies with the admonition "redeem yourself or die in the attempt".

[@justanobadi6655]

I know that Mr. Rico likes this song, especially its chorus with the "baa-ya-baa"

[@shaider1982]

This was a marching song of the Mobile Infantry in Starship Troopers The Novel

[@jrlonergan6773]

Yep. In OCS

[@shaider1982]

@@jrlonergan6773 yup, at OCS.

[@justanobadi6655]

This and the favorite "ain't-a gonna study war no more"

[@shaider1982]

​@@justanobadi6655 yup, I remember that in the OCS scene in the novel.

[@philbach-kb6hl]

A part of this song is used at the begining of the black sheep soundtrack (TV séries about US pilots in Pacific War)

[@navybadger72]

To the legion of the lost ones, to the cohort of the damned, To my brethren in their sorrow overseas, Sings a gentleman of England cleanly bred, machinely crammed, And a trooper of the Empress, if you please. Yea, a trooper of the forces who has run his own six horses, And faith he went the pace and went it blind, And the world was more than kin while he held the ready tin, But to-day the Sergeant's something less than kind. We're poor little lambs who've lost our way, Baa! Baa! Baa! We're little black sheep who've gone astray, Baa-aa-aa! Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree, Damned from here to Eternity, God ha' mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah! Oh, it's sweet to sweat through stables, sweet to empty kitchen slops, And it's sweet to hear the tales the troopers tell, To dance with blowzy housemaids at the regimental hops And thrash the cad who says you waltz too well. Yes, it makes you cock-a-hoop to be "Rider" to your troop, And branded with a blasted worsted spur, When you envy, O how keenly, one poor Tommy being cleanly Who blacks your boots and sometimes calls you "Sir". If the home we never write to, and the oaths we never keep, And all we know most distant and most dear, Across the snoring barrack-room return to break our sleep, Can you blame us if we soak ourselves in beer? When the drunken comrade mutters and the great guard-lantern gutters And the horror of our fall is written plain, Every secret, self-revealing on the aching white-washed ceiling, Do you wonder that we drug ourselves from pain? We have done with Hope and Honour, we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung, And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young! Our shame is clean repentance for the crime that brought the sentence, Our pride it is to know no spur of pride, And the Curse of Reuben holds us till an alien turf enfolds us And we die, and none can tell Them where we died. We're poor little lambs who've lost our way, Baa! Baa! Baa! We're little black sheep who've gone astray, Baa-aa-aa! Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree, Damned from here to Eternity, God ha' mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_ranker

[@mikem9001]

@@rubybraumann9858 On the contrary, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains many graves across South Africa. Even though greedy imperialists fought greedy nationalists, their graves are still maintained. As they should be - it would make South Africa less of a nation if it did not maintain those graves.

[@Falckenhagen]

Mike M k

[@edronc2007]

Incredibly sad and incredibly well performed. Thank you!

[@madhousetoobah]

Great poem(song) and wonderful rendition!!

[@thehistoadian]

Nice to see some Canadian pictures in the video

[@flaskzy]

Thank you Robert Littell - The Company for showing me this beauty

[@roughneck2087]

Love it. Reminds me of my service

[@ftdefiance1]

Thanks

[@glynluff2595]

Interesting engraving of Shoreham camp with Riflemen.

[@gladyslustgirdle3004]

Damn, I thought it was "Gentlemen Bankers".

[@WretchedRedoran]

Such a thing doesn't exist

[@gladyslustgirdle3004]

You are not wrong.

[@benjaminpilgrim1330]

haha, what about Gentleman Wankers then, :D

[@gladyslustgirdle3004]

I think that the phrase "Merchant Bankers" was popular once.

[@MrAlistar99]

amazing record this

[@EzekielDeLaCroix]

When you make this faster, 1.25 or 1.5, it gets less depressing. :D

[@qwertywtflol]

Amazing

[@peterchenbutterbrot278]

when you first listen in 0,75, it gets less depressing in normal speed the second time.

[@alongsleep]

It isn't depressing mate, it is sentimental, there is a difference

[@alongsleep]

@Danny M Nice to see there are some people who get it

[@ftdefiance1]

@@alongsleep buy this man a beer

[@ccg8658]

I was always under the impression that the term "gentleman ranker" referred to a "lower rank" who showed the requisite attitude to be an officer. Would often be promoted/ transfered into officer positions in either "native" or unfashionable regiments?

[@ccg8658]

@Archie Duke Thanks, everyday's a school day :)

[@colinmcdonald8521]

Their day - for the best of them - came in WWI, when those who made good soldiers - not all did - were commissioned, as they would certainly have been in the US army in the civil war, and would later be in the International Brigade. I wonder just how many achieved their potential in the US army or the Foreign Legion?

[@jameshogg9585]

Read the original caption. Gentleman rankers were middle or upper class men who had been socially disgraced or committed a crime and joined the army as private soldiers. Joining the army was often given as an alternative, in court, to a prison sentence well into the 20th century. Joining the army in Kipling's day was very disreputable, no matter what class you came from.

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

@@colinmcdonald8521 French Foreign Legion only promoted foreigners to the rank of corporal.

[@killersauresrex]

Who sang this?

[@killersauresrex]

Basil II, The Bulgar Slayer I've only just realised the cover saying its sung by Brian Peters and co, the tragic thing is, this particular album is not being sold anymore, not even his own website has it for sale. I was really looking forward to it

[@mycoolhandgiveit]

I believe it was Peter Bellamy

[@wandererchronicles]

According to discog.com's entry on this album, Brian Peters was the singer on this one. Peter Bellamy did the arrangement.

[@brianpeters3629]

It was indeed me. Peter's musical setting, of course.

[@symmachus898]

Well it sounds like Peter Bellamy to me.

[@edwinlee2343]

There is an Irish rebel song thay sounds just like this... what is it?!?!?!?!

[@brotherirish9425]

wish i knew

[@skeptic781]

Fuck off with that fenian garbage

[@chris.3069]

@@skeptic781 they arent even irish usually too. just americans

[@willhall1874]

The class system was not responsible for the problems experienced by the people featured in this poem, war is hell whether you're rich or poor. Just because the poor have a problem that the rich don't, doesn't mean the class system is bad. If anything, it's quarantined that problem.

[@EzekielDeLaCroix]

It wasn't about war. It was more about the personal point of view of people who experienced exile from their family. They're "gentlemen", which means to be poor and unemployed would mean utter shame for the family that exiled them in the first place, so they "volunteer" in the army, with some who have relatives who hope they actually die on service in a way to preserve "honor".

[@willhall1874]

You have done nothing to refute even a single point I made, you jus nitpicked the tiniest point. I personally think it’s about one man’s story about going away to war as a young man and when he gets back he laments that fresh young men are sent off to the same or another war.

[@EzekielDeLaCroix]

I'll fight you, whale.

[@mikem9001]

@@willhall1874 Most think it is about members of the upper classes who have disgraced and impoverished themselves, so they change their name and volunteer as a private soldier

[@EzekielDeLaCroix]

Dasroyt, dasroyt. Daswatuget. Us English speakers will destroy you.