Reproduced below are the lyrics to the hugely popular wartime song written in 1914, Keep The Home Fires Burning, music by Ivor Novello and words by Lena Ford. The song is also popularly known as Till The Boys Came Home.
Keep the Home Fires Burning
They were summoned from the hillside
They were called in from the glen,
And the country found them ready
At the stirring call for men.
Let no tears add to their hardships
As the soldiers pass along,
And although your heart is breaking
Make it sing this cheery song:
Keep the Home Fires Burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.
Overseas there came a pleading,
"Help a nation in distress."
And we gave our glorious laddies
Honour bade us do no less,
For no gallant son of freedom
To a tyrant's yoke should bend,
And a noble heart must answer
To the sacred call of "Friend."
Keep the Home Fires Burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.
firstworldwar.comThis site has two audio links to hear the song.
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This should be it. It makes sense that Col. Potter would sing a WWI song. It seems to me that he was in a tontine with some other soldiers, the "prize" being a bottle of brandy. If I remember correctly, it started in WWI. (In fact, it may be the same episode that you remember.) Remember that Col. Potter was at least in his late 50s in the series, which was set in the Korean War, only 30-some years after WWI.