Fred Karno's Army

Fred Wescott, better known as Fred Karno, transformed the music hall by creating a riot of laughter out of chaos, originating the custard pie in the face.
The poor lad who left Nottingham for a tough apprenticeship as an acrobat in Victorian show business rose through flair and persistence to be one of the greatest impresarios and showmen in the world.
The British Army sang songs about him and his name was often mentioned in the House of Commons to describe a muddle somewhere.
Fred Karno's Army, meaning a chaotic outfit, became enshrined in the English language.
"We Are Fred Karno's Army" was sung to the melody of "Aurelia", otherwise known as "The Church's One Foundation", by Samuel S Wesley, 1864.

We are Fred Karno's army,
We are the ragtime infantry.
We cannot fight, we cannot shoot,
What bleeding use are we?
And when we get to Berlin
We'll hear the Kaiser say,
"Hoch, hoch! Mien Gott, what a bloody rotten lot,
Are the ragtime infantry."

Read a 6 RANGLIAN Warring Order - ie 30 Years of Fairy tales
Ode to the 6th Bn
6 Royal Anglian Officers' Dinner Club
Kipper Place

Site edited and maintained by Major JL Raybould TD
Editor, Norfolk Section, The Britannia and Castle