Poem, printed in colours for display, regarding the Blitz and 'those blackout times of London' during World War Two, titled 'The Cockney | Dedicated to the Citizens of London'. followed by another poem, by 'Bill Smiff, Esq.', titled 'Victory 1945'.

Author: 
'Bill Smiff, Esq.' [G. J. McCarthy, Bedford Street, Strand; George Reynolds, Stepney, printer; the Blitz; air raids on London; Second World War; Nazi; music hall]
Publication details: 
Printed by George Reynolds, Ltd., 21-23, Stepney Green, E.1., and published by G. J. McCarthy, 38, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.2. [Christmas 1945.]
£65.00
SKU: 18962

On a piece of thin, shiny card, 33 x 20 cm. The text of the two poems is printed in red capitals, in two columns, with the title and border in brown, and a green design surrounding the words 'Wishing you a Happy Xmas and Prosperous New Year' at the foot, together with green leaves to red holly berries surrounding the title. Printer's slug on the reverse with the following announcement: 'This verse must not be performed in any Music Hall, Theatre, etc., without permission.' The main poem, 'The Cockney', is 68 lines long, arranged in 17 four-line stanzas, and begins: 'If some bloke ever arsks yer | "Where d'yer come from" - see? | Just you tell 'im - straight away | You're a cockney - just like me! | A simple man of London | Dear old London town, | The place the Nazis tried to smash, | But they never "got us down." | They even made a date to come | Back in Nineteen Forty | And fort they'd strut along our streets, | Goose stepping - proud and 'aughty!' A later verse reads 'But there's been some orful tragedies | Frough the terrer of the Blitz, | And it seemed our pre-war 'igher ups | Had underestimated Fritz.' Added in manuscript besides the last line of the poem - 'We had faith in ourselves. - are the words '& God'. Following on from 'The Cockney' is the eight-line poem 'Victory 1945', with the pseudonym 'Bill Smiff [i.e. Smith in cockney pronunciation], Esq.' printed at the foot. No copy traced at the Imperial War Museum, or on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.