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The "Colonel Bogey March" is a popular March that was written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts ( 1881 - 1945 ), a British military bandmaster who was director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth . Since at that time service personnel were not encouraged to have professional lives outside the armed forces, Ricketts published "Colonel Bogey" and his other compositions under the pseudonym Kenneth Alford . Supposedly, the tune was inspired by a military man and Golf er who whistled a characteristic two-note phrase (a descending Minor Third interval) instead of shouting " Fore !". It is this phrase that begins each line of the melody. ''Bogey'' is golfing term meaning one over par. The sheet music was a million-seller, and the march was recorded many times. "Colonel Bogey" is the Authorized March of The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) of the Canadian Forces . Many humorous or satirical verses have been sung to this tune; some of them vulgar. The English quickly established a simple insulting use for the tune, where the first two syllables were used for a variety of rude expressions, then followed by "...and the same to you." The best known, which originated in England at the outset of World War II , goes by the title " Hitler Has Only Got One Ball ". A later parody, sung by schoolchildren in the United States , is called " Comet ", and deals with the effects of consuming a popular brand of household cleanser. ''THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI'' The English composer Malcolm Arnold added a counter-melody for use in the 1957 dramatic movie '' The Bridge On The River Kwai ,'' which was set during World War II. Although the vulgar lyrics were not used in the film, audiences of the time fully understood the subtextual humour of "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball" being sung by Prisoners Of War . Arnold's additional score is still strongly identified with the march's use in the movie, although many people don't realise the film version is not the original. Arnold also wrote a march of his own for this movie, which is called "The River Kwai March". This piece has nothing to do with the Rickett/Alford march, but due to the fame of the film, many people now incorrectly refer to the "Colonel Bogey March" as "The River Kwai March". Because the film concerned prisoners of war being held under inhumane conditions by the Japan ese, there was a minor diplomatic flap in the early 1970s when the "Colonel Bogey March" was played during a visit by the Japanese prime minister to Australia . OTHER USES IN POPULAR CULTURE Film
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