Peacehaven, Sussex: Pack Up Your Troubles

It became the stiff-upper-lip anthem of World War One and continues to earn royalties to this day.

Yet when brothers and music hall stars George and Felix Powell penned “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag” they thought it ‘piffle’ and abandoned it. But the tune was pulled from a drawer marked ‘duds’ for a contest to find a marching tune for the troops – and won.

But with success came heartache and bitter creative differences between the brothers. George had been a life-long pacifist, and as a conscientious objector he had reservations about his tune's use as a rallying cry from the outset.

As Robin Gibson discovered, the back-story to “Pack Up Your Troubles” has a very dark side, which would end tragically in Peacehaven.

Location: Peacehaven, Sussex BN10 7BE
Image courtesy of Newhaven Museum