Pack Up Your Troubles - Two Brothers, One Anthem and the Cost of War

In this episode of The A to Z of Wartime Song, hosts Lili Redman and Tom Carradine explore one of the most famous morale-boosting anthems of the First World War: Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile.

They uncover the remarkable story of its creators - Welsh brothers George and Felix Powell -whose music hall careers and contrasting wartime paths tell a poignant tale of fame, conscience, and tragedy. While George became a pacifist and conscientious objector, Felix served on the front lines, later suffering a breakdown that echoed through the rest of his life

Lili and Tom also discuss the song’s meteoric rise to popularity, its role as a marching anthem, and its legacy in both WWI and WWII. Along the way, they dive into early recordings, forgotten verses, and the tragic irony of the song’s enduring cheerfulness against the backdrop of real personal suffering.

This episode is a deep look at how even the brightest tunes can hide the darkest stories - and how music helped millions face the horrors of war with a smile.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

You can listen to ALL of the songs that Tom and Lili talk about in the episode on their Spotify playlist here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FQDrBphYqYLAuN6Jm01PN?si=b777dc33a703408a

REFERENCES

River Walk Music Festival, Tonbridge
https://www.riverwalkmusic.live/

The Grand Order of Water Rats
https://www.gowr.co.uk/

Johnny Victory
http://johnnyvictory.com/

International Bomber Command
https://internationalbcc.co.uk/

Glenn Miller’s version of Over There
https://youtu.be/Fs6mxSJiz9A?si=DA3lXrhPJKh4BVhd

Conscientious Objectors in WW1
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-conscientious-objection

Peacehaven, Sussex - History
https://www.thepostmagazine.co.uk/brightonhistory/peacehaven-beyond-rural-idyll

Lureland Dance Hall, Peacehaven (now a Mosque)
https://g.co/kgs/1zKJr7X
https://media.onthemarket.com/properties/6234650/909834491/document-0.pdf

Pavillion, Peacehaven
https://www.brightonhistory.org.uk/film/cinemas/Pavilion_Peacehaven.html

Sheet Music Cover (Just Text)
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C214266

Art Nouveau Sheet Music Cover
https://www.loc.gov/item/2016776938/

Gracie Field's Final Performance
https://youtu.be/BoaHT3JMu4k?si=z733Y43sn_f6NR-p&t=58

Lucifer Matches
https://www.wwiisoldier.com/a-history-of-matches-prior-to-wwi/

Phossy Jaw and the Match Girls Strike
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/what-was-the-significance-of-the-match-girls-strike-in-1888/

Pack ALL Your Trouble - Edward Hamilton 1916
https://youtu.be/lVgbv8Hxk9o?si=SDJzP05qgvqGzQpp

Talbot House (can you spot Tom)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coqTDDyRQx0

Talbot House Living History Weekend (and Concert)
https://www.talbothouse.be/en/events/living-history-weekend
https://www.talbothouse.be/en/events/the-talbot-house-concert-party

CHAPTERS

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