Karno's army, Fred

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Karno's army, Fred a type of chaotic organization, named for the comedian Fred Karno (1866–1941); his ‘Army’ was the company which gave a solid start or valuable experience to many comedians. ‘We are Fred Karno's army, the ragtime infantry’, perhaps referring to ‘Kitchener's Army’, was one of the trench songs of the First World War.