Dear Old Pal of Mine by Harold Robe and Gitz Rice, cover 1918 Music and Media/Art External Source Cover of Dear Old Pal of Mine, words by Harold Robe, music by Gitz Rice. Lieutenant Gitz Rice was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia in 1891 and studied at the McGill conservatory in Montreal. He joined the Army’s First Canadian contingent as a gunnery officer and served in Europe during the war. In 1917 he became officer in charge of musical entertainment for the Canadian troops. He was well known for a number of patriotic songs he wrote during World War I. Listen to Canadian historical sound recording online at the above link (via Library and Archives Canada's Virtual Gramaphone)