Boys of the Dardanelles, which commemorates the sacrifice made by Australians in the First World War, is the best-known composition by Marsh Little (1880 - 1958) and was particularly effective for encouraging recruitment. This version was performed by the prolific English singer and recording artist Stanley Kirkby.

Stanley Kirkby (1878 – 30 October 1949) was an English baritone singer and variety artist of the early 20th century. His repertoire came from a wide range of genres and included ballads and popular songs. He sang mostly in music halls and variety theatres and was a prolific recording artist. Kirkby has been credited with making the largest number of records in Britain from the 1900s to the 1930s, and recorded on every UK record label under a variety of pseudonyms as well as his own name.

Boys of the Dardanelles - lyrics

VERSE 1
Old England needs the men she breeds
There's fighting to be done.
Australians heard, and were prepared,
To help her every son.
From out the bay they sailed away,
Our pride, Australia's own,
And so to-day they're far away
And some in great unknown.

CHORUS
Boys of the Dardanelles,
They faced the shot and the shells,
Down in hist'ry their fame will go,
Our children's children their daring deeds will know
Australian lads in khaki and in blue <
Have shown the World what they can do.
How they fought and fell
The cables daily tell,
Boys of the Dardanelles.

VERSE 2

Neath foreign skies with eager eyes,

Those boys of the Dardanelles,
By the dear old flag with never a lag,
Have fought and served it well.
From scraping keel, with plunging steel,
They quickly got to work.
In khaki kit they did their bit,
And soon were upon the Turk.

CHORUS x 2

VERSE 3 (not on this recording)
When war is o'ver, and home once more,
Come Boys from the Dardanelles,
To them we'll raise our hats in praise,
And we'll hear the stories they'll tell.
It was their lot to get it hot,
Some quite new at the game.
Their gallant dash the foe to smash
Will live on the roll of fame.

CREDITS

Performer Stanley Kirkby Composer Marsh Little Recording company Regal, G6012 (UK)