Words Of The Song ‘Bowser’s Seventy Twa’

After the miners’ riots of August 13, 1913, the B.C Attorney General William Bowser ordered the militia into a number of Vancouver Island mining communities to keep order. The 72^ND Regiment Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were posted to Nanaimo and subsequently to Ladysmith. This was not popular with the miners. R.W. Smith composed a derogatory song ‘Bowser’s Seventy Twa’ about them, which was sung ‘with success’ by Wm. J Willis. Both men were residents of Nanaimo. The song became popular amongst the miners and appeared in the BC Federationist, a labour newspaper published in Vancouver.

BOWSER’S SEVENTY-TWA

I

Oh, did you see the kilties, boys?

Well, laugh; t’would nearly kilt you, boys

That day they came to kill, both great and small,

With bayonet, shot and shell –

To blow you all to hell –

A dandy squad was Bowser’s Seventy-Twa

CHORUS

Then, hurrah! Boys, hurrah!

For Bowser’s Seventy-twa-

The handy, dandy, candy Seventy-twa.

They’ll make the world look small,

Led on by Colonel Hall.

Hurrah! Boys, hurrah!

For Bowser’s Seventy-twa

II

They stood some curious shapes, these boys.

They must have sprung from apes, these boys,

Dressed up in kilts to represent the law,

Ma conscience, it was grand.

Hurrah! For Old Scotland!

And Bowser with his gallant Seventy-twa.

III

They could not stand at ease, these boys,

They had no strength, believe me, boys,

Some had to stand upon their guns or fall

And many a mother’s son had never seen a gun;

But, mind you, they were Bowser’s Seventy-twa.

iV

It beat the band to see them land

And make that proud, heroic stand-

The emblem of the government and the law.

And we’ll not forget the day

They stormed Departure Bay

Did Bowser with his gallant Seventy-twa.