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by Marriott Edgar (1934)
Illustrations by John Hassall
There are a few archaic terms in this poem, such as 'tinker's moke' (donkey of an itinerant tinsmith) and 'gormless' (bird-brain stupidity; one of those words with no antonym, such as 'gormful').
Marksman Sam was written in England during the 1930's, between World Wars I and II when just about everyone would have been familiar with the military terms used in the poem.
These include, in the final stanza, D.C.M. (Distinguished Conduct Medal), O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire), D.S.O. (Distinguished Service Order), and C.B. (Confined to Barracks).
For those unfamiliar with London, the Royal Albert Hall (in the poem: "Albert 'All") is a grand concert hall in Knightsbridge. Fortunately, as the poem states, it was not shot at by Marksman Sam. And it would have been difficult to do so, since the Hall was built in 1871 and Marksman Sam's Napoleonic redcoat and musket means the Albert wouldn't have been there 't 'All.
And neither would there have been the awards mentioned above: D.C.M. was established in 1854, O.B.E. in 1917, and D.S.O. in 1886.
Poetic licence, without which the poem wouldn't be nearly so entertaining.
When Sam Small joined the regiment, They woke 'im up at the crack o' dawn, Lieutenant Bird came on parade, | |
"Move to the right by fours," he said, Said Lieutenant, "Sergeant, take this man's name." Sam carried a musket, a knapsack and coat, "March easy men," Lieutenant cried, When they told 'im to fire at five 'undred yards, 'E'd fitted a cork in 'is musket end, |
Sam takes careful aim |
'Is gun went off with a kind o' pop, At three 'undred yards, Sam shut 'is eyes, At two 'undred yards, Sam fired so wild, |
"Ooh, Sergeant! I hear a scraping noise," "Ooh, Sergeant!" said Sam, "I've 'it the bull! At fifty yards 'is musket kicked, As 'e loaded 'is musket to fire agen, |
The marker walked away lame |
"Tha'd better fix bayonet", says Sergeant |
Sam kept loading 'is gun while the Sergeant spoke, The bullets flew out in a kind of a spray, And the Sergeant for this got a D.C.M. |