DuringthebattleoftheSommein1916,abattalionofBritishtroopswasmarchingthroughasmallvillageandlustilysingingabawdysongatpreciselythetimethatGeneralHaig,thecommander-in-chief,wasonavisitthere.Haigdislikedthesongand,sendingforhishorse,setouttoputastoptoit.Themenhepassedfellsilentbutthoseaheadcontinuedtosing.AtlastHaigcoulddetectjustonestrongvoice.Itwasthecolonel,ridingattheheadofhistroops.Suddenlythecolonelsawthecommander-in-chiefandjerkedtoattention.Haigbentlowandwhisperedinthecolonel'sear,thathelikedthetunebutfoundthewordsunacceptable.Thecolonelgulpedandsaluted.Haigrodeaway.
Silencefollowed.Suddenlythewholebattalionburstoutlaughing,nonemoresothanthecolonel,andthesingingreturned.
一九一六年宋姆河戰役期間,一營英軍淫歌高唱,邁步走過一個村莊,剛巧英軍總司令黑格將軍造訪當地,聽到那首歌,很不高興,叫人備馬,動身前去禁止,所經之處,士兵都靜下來,但前行者繼續唱。最後,黑格只聽到一個人雄亮的聲音。那是領軍前行的上校。上校突然見到總司令,馬上斂容挺身。黑格彎下腰,在他耳邊說,喜歡那首歌的曲調,卻不愛其歌詞。上校吞吞口水,舉手敬禮。黑格策馬走了。
一陣沉默之後,全營士兵突然放聲大笑,那上校笑得最厲害。他們又唱起歌來。