Poem about Sling Camp

[bobpike]

Has anyone, please come across a poem about Sling Camp. It is quite a long poem – ten verses of only three lines each. Here are the first couple of verses:

Of all the places God hath made,

Or human feet have ever strayed,

I speak the truth, I’m not afraid –

It’s Sling

It is no place to laze or lurk,

Your duties there you cannot shirk,

In fact I know you have to work

At Sling

It is printed in the journal of the Channel Islands Great War Study Group and it is thought that the author may be a R Stanley, who may be a Jerseyman.

If anyone is able to throw any light on the author’s name or the poem, I’d be most grateful,

Bob

[Moonraker]

Bob

Sorry to start off the replies with something relatively inconsequential.

Firstly, as a keen Wiltshire researcher I would appreciate your PMing me the full poem, please (a scan might do the trick); I've got about a dozen Wiltshire war poets in my notes, headed by Sorley and Sassoon, and am always keen to hear of more modest ones.

Of all the Wiltshire GW camps, Sling seems to have been the one that most inspired its inmates to verse - judging from the proportion of poems-on-postcards in my collection. Some of these were the same stock doggerel produced for a number of camps in the UK, with just the name changed - sometimes with no regard to scanning. I'm taking the liberty of including a poem (of sorts) by Mrs M G Wood of the YMCA at Sling.

I too shall be interested in any info about the origins of your poem.

Moonraker

[bobpike]

Yerry

I appreciate your interest & advice, will get the poem to you,

Regards,

Bob

[bobpike]

Terry

If you email me on robert.pike@ntlworld. com I have the whole poem for you,

Bob