TCDE-Team at 22:16, 4 April 2026

2026-04-04T22:16:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:16, 5 April 2026
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	''The Guards Came Through'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Times]] on 23 june 1917 and collected in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] in 1920.		''The Guards Came Through'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Times]] on 23 june 1917 and collected in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] in 1920.


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	[[File:The-Times-1917-06-23-the-guards-came-through.jpg\|300px\|right\|thumb\|[[The Times]] (23 june 1917)]]		[[File:The-Times-1917-06-23-the-guards-came-through.jpg\|300px\|right\|thumb\|[[The Times]] (23 june 1917)]]

	Men of the 21st~~<br />~~		<poem>
	Up by the Chalk Pit Wood,~~<br />~~		Men of the 21st
	Weak with our wounds and our thirst,~~<br />~~		Up by the Chalk Pit Wood,
	Wanting our sleep and our food,~~<br />~~		Weak with our wounds and our thirst,
	After a day and a ~~night-<br />~~		Wanting our sleep and our food,
	God, shall we ever forget!~~<br />~~		After a day and a night—
	Beaten and broke in the fight,~~<br />~~		God, shall we ever forget!
	But sticking it, sticking it yet.~~<br />~~		Beaten and broke in the fight,
	Trying to hold the line,~~<br />~~		But sticking it, sticking it yet.
	Fainting and spent and done,~~<br />~~		Trying to hold the line,
	Always the thud and the whine,~~<br />~~		Fainting and spent and done,
	Always the yell of the Hun!~~<br />~~		Always the thud and the whine,
	Northumberland, Lancaster, York,~~<br />~~		Always the yell of the Hun!
	Durham and Somerset,~~<br />~~		Northumberland, Lancaster, York,
	Fighting alone, worn to the bone,~~<br />~~		Durham and Somerset,
			Fighting alone, worn to the bone,
	But sticking it — sticking it yet.		But sticking it — sticking it yet.

	Never a message of hope!~~<br />~~		Never a message of hope!
	Never a word of cheer!~~<br />~~		Never a word of cheer!
	Fronting Hill 70's shell-swept slope,~~<br />~~		Fronting Hill 70's shell-swept slope,
	With the dull, dead plain in our rear.~~<br />~~		With the dull, dead plain in our rear.
	Always the shriek of the shell,~~<br />~~		Always the shriek of the shell,
	Always the roar of the burst,~~<br />~~		Always the roar of the burst,
	Always the tortures of Hell,~~<br />~~		Always the tortures of Hell,
	As waiting and wincing we cursed~~<br />~~		As waiting and wincing we cursed
	Our luck, the guns, and the Boche,~~<br />~~		Our luck, the guns, and the Boche,
	When our Corporal shouted "Stand to!"~~<br />~~		When our Corporal shouted "Stand to!"
	And I heard some one cry, "Clear the front for the Guards!"~~<br />~~		And I heard some one cry, "Clear the front for the Guards!"
	And the Guards came through.		And the Guards came through.

	Our throats they were parched and hot,~~<br />~~		Our throats they were parched and hot,
	But Lord, if you'd heard the cheer!~~<br />~~		But Lord, if you'd heard the cheer!
	Irish and Welsh and Scot,~~<br />~~		Irish and Welsh and Scot,
	Coldstream and Grenadier.~~<br />~~		Coldstream and Grenadier.
	Two Brigades, if you please,~~<br />~~		Two Brigades, if you please,
	Dressing as straight as a hem,~~<br />~~		Dressing as straight as a hem,
	We, we were down on our knees,~~<br />~~		We, we were down on our knees,
	Praying for us and for them!~~<br />~~		Praying for us and for them!
	Praying with tear-wet cheek,~~<br />~~		Praying with tear-wet cheek,
	Praying with outstretched hand,~~<br />~~		Praying with outstretched hand,
	Lord! I could speak for a week,~~<br />~~		Lord! I could speak for a week,
	But how could you understand!~~<br />~~		But how could you understand!
	How could your cheeks be wet,~~<br />~~		How could your cheeks be wet,
	Such feelin's don't come to ''you''.~~<br />~~		Such feelin's don't come to ''you''.
	But how can me or my mates forget,~~<br />~~		But how can me or my mates forget,
	When the Guards came through!		When the Guards came through!

	"Five yards left extend!"~~<br />~~		"Five yards left extend!"
	It passed from rank to rank.~~<br />~~		It passed from rank to rank.
	And line after line, with never a bend,~~<br />~~		And line after line, with never a bend,
	And a touch of the London swank.~~<br />~~		And a touch of the London swank.
	A trifle of swank and dash,~~<br />~~		A trifle of swank and dash,
	Cool as a home parade,~~<br />~~		Cool as a home parade,
	Twinkle, glitter and flash,~~<br />~~		Twinkle, glitter and flash,
	Flinching never a shade,~~<br />~~		Flinching never a shade,
	With the shrapnel right in their face~~<br />~~		With the shrapnel right in their face
	Doing their Hyde Park stunt,~~<br />~~		Doing their Hyde Park stunt,
	Swinging along at an easy pace,~~<br />~~		Swinging along at an easy pace,
	Arms at the trail, eyes front!~~<br />~~		Arms at the trail, eyes front!
	Man, it was great to see!~~<br />~~		Man, it was great to see!
	Man, it was fine to do!~~<br />~~		Man, it was fine to do!
	It's a cot and hospital ward for me,~~<br />~~		It's a cot and hospital ward for me,
	But I'll tell them in Blighty, wherever I be,~~<br />~~		But I'll tell them in Blighty, wherever I be,
	How the Guards came through.		How the Guards came through.
			</poem>

TCDE-Team at 08:49, 30 May 2025

2025-05-30T08:49:10Z

New page

[[File:manuscript-poem-the-guards-came-through.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Manuscript (ca. 1917). This manuscript seems to be written by his [[Jean Elizabeth Leckie|wife]].]]

''The Guards Came Through'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Times]] on 23 june 1917 and collected in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] in 1920.

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== Editions ==

* in ''[[The Times]]'' (23 june 1917 [UK])
* in ''[[The St. Louis Star]]'' (23 june 1917 [US])
* in ''[[The Outlook (US)]]'' (11 july 1917 [US])
* in ''[[Current Opinion]]'' (october 1917 [US])
* in ''[[The Living Age]]'' (13 october 1917 [US])
* in ''[[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]]'' (16 december 1919, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]]'' (1920, [[George H. Doran Co.]] [US])
* in ''[[Daily Express]]'' (16 october 1926 [UK])

== The Guards Came Through ==
[[File:The-Times-1917-06-23-the-guards-came-through.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[[The Times]] (23 june 1917)]]

Men of the 21st 
Up by the Chalk Pit Wood, 
Weak with our wounds and our thirst, 
Wanting our sleep and our food, 
After a day and a night- 
God, shall we ever forget! 
Beaten and broke in the fight, 
But sticking it, sticking it yet. 
Trying to hold the line, 
Fainting and spent and done, 
Always the thud and the whine, 
Always the yell of the Hun! 
Northumberland, Lancaster, York, 
Durham and Somerset, 
Fighting alone, worn to the bone, 
But sticking it — sticking it yet.

Never a message of hope! 
Never a word of cheer! 
Fronting Hill 70's shell-swept slope, 
With the dull, dead plain in our rear. 
Always the shriek of the shell, 
Always the roar of the burst, 
Always the tortures of Hell, 
As waiting and wincing we cursed 
Our luck, the guns, and the Boche, 
When our Corporal shouted "Stand to!" 
And I heard some one cry, "Clear the front for the Guards!" 
And the Guards came through.

Our throats they were parched and hot, 
But Lord, if you'd heard the cheer! 
Irish and Welsh and Scot, 
Coldstream and Grenadier. 
Two Brigades, if you please, 
Dressing as straight as a hem, 
We, we were down on our knees, 
Praying for us and for them! 
Praying with tear-wet cheek, 
Praying with outstretched hand, 
Lord! I could speak for a week, 
But how could you understand! 
How could your cheeks be wet, 
Such feelin's don't come to ''you''. 
But how can me or my mates forget, 
When the Guards came through!

"Five yards left extend!" 
It passed from rank to rank. 
And line after line, with never a bend, 
And a touch of the London swank. 
A trifle of swank and dash, 
Cool as a home parade, 
Twinkle, glitter and flash, 
Flinching never a shade, 
With the shrapnel right in their face 
Doing their Hyde Park stunt, 
Swinging along at an easy pace, 
Arms at the trail, eyes front! 
Man, it was great to see! 
Man, it was fine to do! 
It's a cot and hospital ward for me, 
But I'll tell them in Blighty, wherever I be, 
How the Guards came through.

== More sources ==

<gallery mode="packed" heights="500px">
File:the-outlook-us-1917-07-11-p420-the-guards-came-through.jpg|[[The Outlook (US)]] (11 july 1917, p. 420)
File:daily-express-1926-10-16-p8-the-guards-came-through.jpg|[[Daily Express]] (16 october 1926, p. 8)
</gallery>

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

The Guards Came Through - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 22:16, 4 April 2026

TCDE-Team at 08:49, 30 May 2025