The war has a sense of patriotism and proud-ness as "father showed me his war medals" a positive keepsake of the war with their "pretty coloured ribbons" could show that fighting the war was glorified and made to appeal when in fact it affected people negatively. This poem gives a sense that you cant escape the horrors of war as the father tells stories at bedtime, this could show at night when the dreams come its easier to tell others about his experiences.
The persona's father talk about the "angels of Mons" which refers to Battle of Mons, which was the first major battle in World War One. Since this war the legend of the 'angels of Mons' referred to the idea a miracle happened and saved the Troops as the British retreated at Mons in Belgium, during 1914. This is followed by "expedition from God" showing religion had a main part in the war and that it acted as a lucky charm/guardian which the soldiers could seek comfort and hope in. Also the idea of 'angels' could show a fantasy idea, the angels in fact looked after the British soldiers and their "invisible presence caused horse to bolt" showing they unsettled nature as ghosts of war but also this could refer to the enemy, the 'angels' cause destruction to the opposition in order to protect.
The third stanza opens with "but war coarsens" as the fighting gets worse "even genteel angels" showing that war changes even the kinder and gentle people and affects everyone. The persona's father describes them as "spoke/ silence of gas" could resemble poisoning and how the gas affected the human body but as they "sang/shrapnel striking helmets" again could resemble how the men died and the fact not everything can protect the soldiers. However in the second part of this stanza the angels become a sense of evil "soldiers screams/ thrilled/the cold angels" which is odd as angels are usually associated with beauty and being messengers from god but they become "bold and bloodthirsty" knocking the purity and peacefulness of angels.
The final stanza is an after-thought as written in brackets which brings more detail and focus to the after thought. " (My father, invalided home, was told he knew more about angels than was healthy.)" Showing the father's persona had a first hand experience and in my opinion these last lines show that for those who observed the war at home via media were almost naïve towards what truly happened and although they may try to understand they wont fully understand. Whereas, the father whom experienced the haunting memories of friends/colleagues being blown up in front of their eyes and the pain that they still carry shows you can never truly escape the mental/physical affect of war.
I feel this poem link with Larkin's 'MCMXIV' as it shows the negativity of war and how people at home and people fighting have a different experience.
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