Guest KevinEndon Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Which one of these was the Willie McBride mentioned in the Green Fields Of France The song says he was 19 in 1916 and here are the only two possibles from the CWGC. McBRIDE, W Private 21406 10/02/1916 Unknown Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers United Kingdom A. 36. AUTHUILE MILITARY CEMETERY McBRIDE, WILLIAM JOHN Rifleman 1442 02/07/1916 Unknown Royal Irish Rifles United Kingdom Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 None of them, he made it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACRAE Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 I cant frecall where i heard it from but i am sure the ARTISTIC LICENCE crew (hollywood) are making a movie of William McBride and of course what else would one expect from those whom love to change history to suit there own needs. are going to make it out that he come from Dublin and that he was a Nationalist and some other changes . Any one here of this movie in the making . Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Swizzed by a fellow Scot, ah well its a lovely song anyway. Cheers Owen for spoiling my whole weekend, mega sulk on now. Kevin LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Shand Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 None of them, he made it up. Are you sure of this, Owen? In his book 'Thiepval', Michael Stedman (p. 169) does state that the grave of Willy McBride is in the Authuille Military Cemetery. Coincidence or reality? I guess Eric Bogle is the only person that knows for sure. Regards, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Eric Bogle came from Peebles. The Peebles Memorial lists an Alexander Bogle for WW1 and a John Bogle for WW2. At the time of writing the song it would be doubtful he had ever been to France. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Coincidence, I think. There are two soldiers of that name buried at Authuile but one was 21 and the other has no age given. Besides, if we are to take the song as a record of a real visit to a real grave, then Pte. McBride would have to be buried in a cemetery in which "countless white crosses stand mute in the sand." This is certainly not a description of Authuile Military Cemetery. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 It could also be any one of these Search results Total number of records = 12 VIEW Surname Firstname Service Number Date Death SNWM roll Rank 1 McBRIDE W 290099 14/10/1918 THE CAMERONIANS (SCOTTISH RIFLES) L/Cpl 2 McBRIDE William Glover 20486 28/01/1917 THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS Pte 3 McBRIDE William Hugh 16745 13/08/1915 SCOTTISH CASUALTIES EXTRACTED FROM ENGLISH REGIMENTS Pte 4 McBRIDE William L 1614 17/05/1915 THE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY L/Cpl 5 McBRIDE William Wilson 05/12/1917 ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY 2nd Lt 6 McBRIDE William 125583 01/12/1917 ROYAL HORSE AND ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY Gnr 7 McBRIDE William 12903 25/09/1915 THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS Pte 8 McBRIDE William 24211 28/09/1918 THE QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS Pte 9 McBRIDE William 26240 28/09/1918 SCOTTISH CASUALTIES EXTRACTED FROM ENGLISH REGIMENTS Pte 10 McBRIDE William 268430 20/04/1918 THE BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS) A/Cpl 11 McBRIDE William 2838 28/06/1915 THE ROYAL SCOTS (LOTHIAN REGIMENT) Pte 12 McBRIDE William 16/03/1918 THE MERCANTILE MARINE Mess Room Steward Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Quote from a 'Wheen O Medals' by Bill Canning 'The Daily mail revived interest in the matter of identity in 2005. Several replies, including oen from Marie Blackie in reigate, Surrey, made different suggestions. The writer decided to contact Eric Bogle. Generously, Eric replied confirming that it was the grave of Willie McBride of the Tyrones (9th Innis Fus) he sat down beside on that warm day. He states that he used the name from among fourteen similar names to represent the boys buried in France ...' Coincidentally there were two Bogles in the Tyrones, both survived the war. The Willie McBride on the stone was born in Roan Cottage, Lislea, Co. Fermanagh. He worked in the shoe trade in Irvinestown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petroc Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 As an aside; the song was re-recorded in the late 80s by the band 'The Men They Couldn't Hang' on their album 'How Green is the Valley'; a wonderful bunch of Anglo-Welsh-Irish folk-rockers whose other tracks on various albums include references to thomas paine etc...it's a really great version of the song and well recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACRAE Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 So no one heard about this movie then would love to know more about it Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Film seems like a non-starter http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/...l?from=storyrhs http://www.aftermathww1.com/mcbride.asp Lots of comments about it but no action. This lot meant ot be making it http://www.angelfire.com/film/langsynefilms/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Gawd help us .. he'll be an Irish American whose dad was whipped by the evil Brits for walking on the Queen's Highway but who decided to go back across the Artlantic to fight in the war for the sheer hell of it (being a fightin' Irish etc etc). He will obviously be shot at dawn for punching the vile English officer who was attempting to ravage the love of his life who had hair tied up with a black velevt band and whose eyes shone like diamonds. At his court martial he will be defended by a disillusioned American officer who has joined the British army because his mother was from Surrey but who now reckons that war is all madness. He of course is looked down upon by the monocled brits cos he is simply not a gentleman, don't you know. Preserve me. I may now start writing my film script in blogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Perhaps when writing opening line of the song Eric Bogle had to use a name that rhymed with 'graveside' He might have tried several until one felt right. For example .... "Well how do you do young Ernest Mactavish Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside." No does not sound right "Well how do you do young Willie MacBride Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside And rest for a while 'neath the warm summer's sun I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done." Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejcmartin Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Des, sounds like it's time to move to Hollywood! The song is a popular one here in Newfoundland. It has been recorded numerous times. There is a McBride's Hill in St. John's and I am married to a McBride! No Willie's though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN-NIHbfJ1k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Thanks for the link Neil. I'd never heard the song before and had often wondered what the fuss was about it when it's been discussed on here in the past. Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Besides, if we are to take the song as a record of a real visit to a real grave, then Pte. McBride would have to be buried in a cemetery in which "countless white crosses stand mute in the sand." Tom, I hate to correct you but you've misquoted what is one of the best sections of his song: But here in this graveyard it's still No Man's Land; The countless white crosses in mute witness stand To man's blind indifference to his fellow man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 That makes more sense, Derek, taken with the following line. (The version we had first is the awful one by the Fureys and they sing "mute in the sand". Since hearing it first we also have Eric Bogle's and June Tabor's versions and I must admit that because I "knew the words" I didn't listen too carefully to their versions). Thanks for the correction. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 The version we had first is the awful one by the Fureys and they sing "mute in the sand". Yip, Fureys and the word awful seem to flow together in a sentence when it comes to that particualr song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Any Pals tried to indentify any of the chaps in the video? The postmark on the photo on the chap at the start says '...DIVISION'. I'm not good enough at uniform spotting to determine anything else. Just in case he is Willie McBride! The chap at the end looks American to me. Is the 'A' patch indicative of AEF? Roxy PS I turned the volume off for the video after a very short time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 I didn't, I turned it up! But then I am a sucker for such emotive things. There is a wonderful song on Utube about Shane Warne! Cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 American - low possibility 30th Infantry Division Roxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Is this the patch on the chaps left shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 I'm with those who generally find it all a bit ... flowery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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