Following the Battle of Neuve Chapelle from 10-13 March 1915, the actual village of Neuve Chapelle was finally in British hands on 17 March 1915, after severe follow-on fighting and heavy casualties by several Irish regiments in the 27th Division. An Irish sergeant of this Division wrote this song which is sung to the tune of “The Rambling Irishman”

For when we landed in Belgium the girls all danced with joy;
Says one unto the other, ‘Here comes an Irish Boy’
Then it’s fare thee well mother dear, we’ll do the best we can
For you know that Neuve Chapelle was won by an Irishman

CHORUS
Then here’s good luck to the Rifles, the Inniskillings too;
The Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Artillery too;
For side by side they fought and died as noble heroes can,
And you know well that Neuve Chapelle was won by an Irishman

Said von Kluck* unto the Kaiser, ‘What are we going to do?
We’re going to meet those Irishmen, and the men we never knew’,
Says the Kaiser unto old von Kluck, ‘We’ll do the best we can,
But I’m telling you true that Waterloo was won by an Irishman’.

CHORUS

*
General von Kluck commanded the German forces and as far as the British Tommies were concerned his name rhymed with their favourite expletive.