"Bless 'em All" Was Already Around for World War I

One of the most famous and evocative songs of the Second World War, "Bless 'em All" — was around for the Great War. I first heard it as part of the background music for Twelve O'Clock High. It likely originated, however, in barracks of British soldiers in the 19th century, albeit with much bawdier lyrics. There were occasional attempts to popularize soldiers’ songs with civilian audiences, with “Bless ‘Em All” being the most successful; this song became a hit during the London Blitz. Songwriter Fred Godfrey claimed to have written it in 1916 while serving in the Royal Navy, but it is likely he merely transcribed an existing song. The opening lyrics describe returning to England after garrison duties in India, very similar to Kipling’s “Troopin’.”

An updated arrangement was published by Jimmy Hughes and Frank Lake in 1940, which became popular with civilians during the Blitz; it was recorded by both George Formby and Billy Cotton. These published versions were sanitized from the original soldiers’ song, which was typically sung as “Sod ‘em All” or "Buck 'em All," although an even stronger term was sometimes used. Here is the best-known version of the song, sung by the great Vera Lynn.

Source: The Colour Sergeant Tombstone's History Pages