[1] The poem is written about how the staff officers of the British Army (referred to as "scarlet majors") deploy soldiers to the war front to be killed, while they stay at the Base "guzzling and gulping in the best hotel" and sending "glum heroes up the line to death".
Like Sassoon's many other poems, "Base Details" is bitterly sarcastic and derisive of the comfortable establishment that supported the continuation of the war while showing little concern for the people who suffered its consequences.
The main message is that army officers plan battles from safety of their base, and are usually not involved in the fighting, and therefore does not know the horrors that they are forcing soldiers to face.
[citation needed] Another reference is to the red blood on their hands from knowing that they have killed all these people by sending them to the front line.
"Poor Young Chap" this direct speech can be interpreted as that it mimics the Majors as they pretend to care, to get the public on their side, said almost as a matter of routine.
"Youth stone dead" a very blunt metaphor which shows the harshness of the author, who is not impressed.
The last two lines however show how the war is not just a game, and how young boys are being slaughtered for small sections of land that should not be valued the same as people's lives.
The majors are fat, insensitive, greedy, vain and very proud, and display no empathy with the soldiers whatsoever.
As the topic is serious such an upbeat rhythm would normally, seem inappropriate except that Sassoon skillfully employs the techniques to satirize the complacent attitude of majors who never have to face the horror of war.