A misplace compliment

[cstm]

In reading an the history of the 42nd (east Lancashire) Division, I noticed what I thought was an amusing incident.

My father served in Egypt and at Gallipoli with the 1/8th Btn of the Manchester Regiment. Several Territorial battalions of the Manchesters and Lancashire Fusiliers formed the 42nd Division, which was the first Territorial division to leave Britain. On the way to Egypt their troopship passed an U.S. warship in the Mediterranean and the Americans paid the British ship the compliment of playing "God Save the King". In returning the honour, the band of the 8th Manchester  Regiment  were not sure what the US national anthem was; "My country 'tis of Thee", "Star Spangled Banner" or "Yankee Doodle", so they played the  tune with which they were most familiar: "Marching Through Georgia".

Considering that the song celebrates the Union General Sherman laying waste to Georgia during the American Civil War and that many of the warship's crew may have come from that state, it was later wondered what the reaction aboard the warship might have been.

 

[CJ Wilson]

On 11/09/2020 at 16:14, cstm said:

In reading an the history of the 42nd (east Lancashire) Division, I noticed what I thought was an amusing incident.

My father served in Egypt and at Gallipoli with the 1/8th Btn of the Manchester Regiment. Several Territorial battalions of the Manchesters and Lancashire Fusiliers formed the 42nd Division, which was the first Territorial division to leave Britain. On the way to Egypt their troopship passed an U.S. warship in the Mediterranean and the Americans paid the British ship the compliment of playing "God Save the King". In returning the honour, the band of the 8th Manchester  Regiment  were not sure what the US national anthem was; "My country 'tis of Thee", "Star Spangled Banner" or "Yankee Doodle", so they played the  tune with which they were most familiar: "Marching Through Georgia".

Considering that the song celebrates the Union General Sherman laying waste to Georgia during the American Civil War and that many of the warship's crew may have come from that state, it was later wondered what the reaction aboard the warship might have been.

 

What a exceptional anecdote. My grandmother's teenage uncle died with the 1/8th Manchesters May 1915. Its a miracle your dad made it out of there to tell any tales.

If you have any other good ones about the unit or Gallipoli please share, I never much paid attention to Gallipoli history because its pure ANZAC mention most of the time.

-CJ

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

On 11/09/2020 at 21:14, cstm said:

the band of the 8th Manchester  Regiment  were not sure what the US national anthem was

And for good reason too.

 The USA didn't  have an official anthem at the time, 'Star Spangled Banner' only became the official national anthem in March 1931.

The waltz had however been adopted as the US Navy's anthem much earlier.

Edited 15 December , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[Fromelles]

On 16/12/2021 at 02:14, CJ Wilson said:

I never much paid attention to Gallipoli history because its pure ANZAC mention most of the time.

-CJ

You're obviously looking in the wrong places

[CJ Wilson]

On 24/12/2021 at 16:13, Fromelles said:

You're obviously looking in the wrong places

I mean mass media projects this.

[James A Pratt III]

I would say the members of the crew who were from the North on the US ship wouldn't be to upset but the ones from the South would be. Note during the US Civil War a Russian Squadron visited New York City the US Navy band played "God Save the Tsar" and the Russian Band played "Yankee Doodle"