I am reminded of the song (Harvey Andrews?) which starts

At the turning of the century I was a lad of five
me father went to fight the boers an' ne're came back alive
me mother was left to bring us upno charity she'd seek
she washed and scrubbed and scraped along on seven a six a week

And when the great war came along I didn't hesitate
I took the royal shilling and went off to do me bit
we fought in mud and tears and blood three years or there abouts
then I copped some gas in Flanders and got invalided out.