Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
Founder member and writer of the Roosters concert party, formed in 1917 in the 60th London Division, later a BBC radio entertainer.
Eight records
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
When did the famous Roosters come into being?
in 1917, at Summer Hill Camp at the foot of Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the gods, certain units of the 60th London Division were lying, and we expected an attack through Bulgaria. It didn't materialise, and finally the commandant of the camp, who was Captain Roost, decided that we must have some entertainment, and so sports were devised and He asked young Robert Warren, who was in the Nineteenth London, an officer, to get together a concert party.
Presenter asks
You carried right through until the end of the war?
Yes, we we stayed until March 1919 because after the armistice boys were anxious to get home and were somewhat disgruntled, so we did possibly our best work then, playing to them during those few months from November till March.
Presenter asks
You were mostly in the Holy Land?
Yes, all across from Salonico and came up to a place called Cantara, where we stayed for some time. Then we made our way through the deserts of Sin, it was and finally made our way to Jerusalem, but we remained there right to the end.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Percy Merriman
This download is the only extract the B B C has of this edition of Desert Island Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley. When did the famous Roosters come into being?
Presenter
Well, in 1917, at Summer Hill Camp at the foot of Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the gods, certain units of the 60th London Division were lying, and we expected an attack through Bulgaria. It didn't materialise, and finally the commandant of the camp, who was Captain Roost, decided that we must have some entertainment, and so sports were devised and
Presenter
He asked young Robert Warren, who was in the Nineteenth London, an officer, to get together a concert party.
Presenter
Well, three of us formed the nucleus. There was Bill Mack, a very good natural soprano voice he had, Copping, a nice storyteller and a good singer, and myself, who done odds and ends and did a bit of writing. Then we added to our number, found uh a wonderful female impersonator in the engineers, Wilden, who was a cabaret artist, found Charles Harrison in the cookhouse. He was a natural comedian, but had had no experience. Then there was Arthur Mackness in the Maudley Room, who was um a nice tenor singer.
Presenter
and a young bright fellow, light entertainer, Davis, that formed the first company and Warren joined in with us. And we gave our first performance at Summer Hill Camp. Why the Roosters? Roosters. Captain Roos came dashing round at the end of the first performance, which was very successful, and said, You boys must never separate. We kept together and still see each other now a good deal. And so we called ourselves the Roosters. After Captain Roos, who was commandant of the camp. Well, you carried right through until the end of the war. Yes, we we stayed until March 1919 because after the armistice boys were anxious to get home and were somewhat disgruntled, so we did possibly our best work then, playing to them during those few months from November till March. But you were mostly in the Holy Land? Yes, all across from Salonico.
Presenter
and came up to a place called Cantara, where we stayed for some time. Then we made our way through the deserts of Sin, it was.
Presenter
and finally made our way to Jerusalem, but we remained there right to the end.
Percy Merriman
Well, now the war was over, and you and the rest of the roosters had dispersed, you went back to the L C, did you? Yes.
Percy Merriman
When did the roosters get together again?
Percy Merriman
When we broadcast for the first time, nineteen twenty-three had you got all the original um Army Group together or had you augmented with some new channels?
Presenter
Yes, we had some new voices. There was the Western Brothers.
Percy Merriman
They were with you?
Presenter
Yes, George Weston was the pianist.
Presenter
Septimus Hunt came in as the sergeant because Bill Copping was unable to join us. And he wasn't a rooster, but he was very good, a very good sergeant.
Presenter
Who wrote the material?
Presenter
I did m most of the army sketches. And and then George and Kenneth, of course, were top notch uh writing numbers and one or two very good published numbers we had.
Percy Merriman
Mm-hmm. And you used to do concert appearances all over the country.
Presenter
Ye yes. At that time we were receiving applications, various British Legion affairs, town halls and seaside resorts. We were in great demand, so we could say the BBC were helping us very considerably.
Percy Merriman
Oh, you were helping the BBC too because you were one of their most local programmes of those days.
Presenter
Yeah, it's
Presenter asks
Now the war was over, you went back to the L C, did you?
Yes.
Presenter asks
When did the roosters get together again for your first broadcast in 1923?
We had some new voices. There was the Western Brothers. Yes, George Weston was the pianist. Septimus Hunt came in as the sergeant because Bill Copping was unable to join us. And he wasn't a rooster, but he was very good, a very good sergeant.
Presenter asks
Who wrote the material?
I did m most of the army sketches. And and then George and Kenneth, of course, were top notch uh writing numbers and one or two very good published numbers we had.
“in 1917, at Summer Hill Camp at the foot of Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the gods, certain units of the 60th London Division were lying, and we expected an attack through Bulgaria. It didn't materialise, and finally the commandant of the camp, who was Captain Roost, decided that we must have some entertainment, and so sports were devised and He asked young Robert Warren, who was in the Nineteenth London, an officer, to get together a concert party.”
“Captain Roos came dashing round at the end of the first performance, which was very successful, and said, You boys must never separate. We kept together and still see each other now a good deal. And so we called ourselves the Roosters. After Captain Roos, who was commandant of the camp.”
“Yes, we we stayed until March 1919 because after the armistice boys were anxious to get home and were somewhat disgruntled, so we did possibly our best work then, playing to them during those few months from November till March.”