Banks of Sicily (51st Highland Division's Farewell)

[Woodsheal]

A wonderful, haunting version by Dick Gaughan, of the great WWII song (bone up on your Scots dialect!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spwAj15Rjjc

[macwilkin]

I wonder where you found that? :mrgreen:

T.

[Lachlan09]

Tune: Farewell To The Creeks

The pipie is dozie, the pipie is fey
He wullnae come round for his vino the day
The sky o'er Messina is unco an' grey
An' a' the bricht chaulmers are eerie

Fareweel ye banks o' Sicily
Fare ye weel ye valley an' shaw
There's nae Jock will mourn the kyles o' ye
Puir bliddy swaddies are weary

Then doon the stair and line the waterside
Wait your turn the ferry's awa'
The doon the stair and line the waterside
A' the bricht chaulmers are eerie

Fareweel ye banks o' Sicily
Fare ye weel ye valley an' shaw
There's nae name can smoor the wiles o' ye
Puir bliddy swaddies are weary

The drummie is polisht, the drummie is braw
He cannae be seen for his webbin' ava
He's beezed himsel' up for a photy an' a'
Tae leave with his Lola, his dearie

Then fare weel ye dives o' Sicily
Fare ye weel ye shielin' an' ha'
We'll a mind shebeens an' bothies
Whaur Jock made a date wi' his dearie

Then fare weel ye dives o' Sicily
Fare ye weel ye shielin' an' ha'
We'll a mind shebeens an' bothies
Whaur kind signorinas were cheerie

Then tune the pipes and drub the tenor drum
Leave your kit this side o' the wa'
Then tune the pipes and drub the tenor drum
A' the bricht chaulmers are eerie

[macwilkin]

Hamish Henderson is also credited with penning with another tune associated with the Italian Campaign, The D-Day Dodgers, in response to a comment made by Lady Astor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXl_xzqIRgk

Performed here by the Sods Opera on their CD, Come on Lads. Various version abound. The tune: Lili Marlene, THE song of World War Two, sung by both Axis & Allies troops in the European Theatre:

We're the D-Day Dodgers out in Italy -
Always on the vino, always on the spree.
Eighth Army scroungers and their tanks
We live in Rome - among the Yanks.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

We landed at Salerno, a holiday with pay,
Jerry brought the band down to cheer us on our way
Showed us the sights and gave us tea,
We all sang songs, the beer was free.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, way out in Italy.

The Volturno and Cassino were taken in our stride
We didn't have to fight there. We just went for the ride.
Anzio and Sangro were all forlorn.
We did not do a thing from dusk to dawn.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

On our way to Florence we had a lovely time.
We ran a bus to Rimini right through the Gothic Line.
On to Bologna we did go.
Then we went bathing in the Po.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

Once we had a blue light that we were going home
Back to dear old Blighty, never more to roam.
Then somebody said in France you'll fight.
We said "F*** that!", we'll just sit tight,
The windy D-Day Dodgers, out in Sunny Italy.

Now Lady Astor, get a load of this.
Don't stand up on a platform and talk a load of pi**.
You're the nation's sweetheart, the nation's pride
We think your mouth's too bloody wide.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, in Sunny Italy.

When you look 'round the mountains, through the mud and rain
You'll find the scattered crosses, some which bear no name.
Heartbreak, and toil and suffering gone
The boys beneath them slumber on
They were the D-Day Dodgers, who'll stay in Italy.

So listen all you people, over land and foam
Even though we've parted, our hearts are close to home.
When we return we hope you'll say
"You did your little bit, though far away
All of the D-Day Dodgers, way out there in Italy."

[Lachlan09]

That Lady Astor was a complete ar*e !

As in the song, she did label the Allied Forces (particularly the British) fighting in Italy as “D-Day Dodgers”, shirking their responsibilities in Normandy. Little did she know or care about the hellish conditions and suffering of the Italian Campaign. She was also a liar. At least 2 divisions, the 50th Northumbrian and 51st Highland were diverted from Italy to take part in the Normandy invasion, both landed on D-Day.

Not only that, as my Dad told me (he hated her guts for this) she also riled the men of the 14th Army in Burma, making comment to beware of “the men with the crows’ feet” (ie the white creases in the corners of the eyes, characteristic in the universal mahogany Indo/Burma tans of usually white-faced Brits). My Dad told me that, according to the 14th Army rumour-service, the reason she picked on the 14th Army boys was because her daughter had recently caught a nasty little anti-social disease from a 14th Army officer on leave in Blighty.

I hope it was true.

[macwilkin]

That Lady Astor was a complete ar*e !

As in the song, she did label the Allied Forces (particularly the British) fighting in Italy as “D-Day Dodgers”, shirking their responsibilities in Normandy. Little did she know or care about the hellish conditions and suffering of the Italian Campaign. She was also a liar. At least 2 divisions, the 50th Northumbrian and 51st Highland were diverted from Italy to take part in the Normandy invasion, both landed on D-Day.

Not only that, as my Dad told me (he hated her guts for this) she also riled the men of the 14th Army in Burma, making comment to beware of “the men with the crows’ feet” (ie the white creases in the corners of the eyes, characteristic in the universal mahogany Indo/Burma tans of usually white-faced Brits). My Dad told me that, according to the 14th Army rumour-service, the reason she picked on the 14th Army boys was because her daughter had recently caught a nasty little anti-social disease from a 14th Army officer on leave in Blighty.

I hope it was true.

Astor did not invent the term, however; she took it, according to Henderson, from a letter that was sent to her by an Eighth Army squaddie who signed it "D-Day Dodger".

The 14th Army truly are forgotten heroes; after reading Fraser's Quartered Safe Out Here several years ago, I am convinced of that even more. My grandfather served with a Signal Battalion of the 14th US Air Force in the CBI Theatre, and he had nothing but praise for the British & Commonwealth forces he worked with during that time. He particularly admired the Chindits and the Gurkhas, but the Scots held a special place in his heart. Whenever He & my grandmother would go see the various regimental bands on tour in Phoenix, the squaddies showed him nothing but respect when he told them where he served during the War.

T.

[Lachlan09]

My father always had great things to say about the Americans who piloted and crewed the C-47 Dakotas which used to drop supplies, while Force 136 groups were on ops behind Jap lines in Burma.

Going back to Sicily and before I forget to mention, there’s a photo sometimes used in history sites showing a squad of British infantry in Tunisia, advancing up the side of a rocky hill before putting in an attack, with a covering Churchill tank behind them. The photo is of the 8th Argylls of 78th “Battleaxe” Division, 1st Army, and the hill is Longstop, where Major Anderson of the 8th Argylls won the V.C. The main soldier in the photo is Willie Gillies, of Tayinloan, Kintyre, Argyll and I had the honour to meet him back in 1969 in the pub in Tayinloan. My dad knew him and introduced me.

[BoldHighlander]

My grandfather served with a Signal Battalion of the 14th US Air Force in the CBI Theatre, and he had nothing but praise for the British & Commonwealth forces he worked with during that time. He particularly admired the Chindits and the Gurkhas...

So did my 2nd cousin (he was in Burma w/ Merrill's Marauders) ith:

[Rob Wright]

Garth Ennis did eight WWII comics focusing on lesser known aspects of the war. One of them was titled D-Day Dodgers.




Very respectful and well done. I believe all eight have been collected in two volumes.

Rob

Hamish Henderson is also credited with penning with another tune associated with the Italian Campaign, The D-Day Dodgers, in response to a comment made by Lady Astor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXl_xzqIRgk

Performed here by the Sods Opera on their CD, Come on Lads. Various version abound. The tune: Lili Marlene, THE song of World War Two, sung by both Axis & Allies troops in the European Theatre:

We're the D-Day Dodgers out in Italy -
Always on the vino, always on the spree.
Eighth Army scroungers and their tanks
We live in Rome - among the Yanks.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

We landed at Salerno, a holiday with pay,
Jerry brought the band down to cheer us on our way
Showed us the sights and gave us tea,
We all sang songs, the beer was free.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, way out in Italy.

The Volturno and Cassino were taken in our stride
We didn't have to fight there. We just went for the ride.
Anzio and Sangro were all forlorn.
We did not do a thing from dusk to dawn.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

On our way to Florence we had a lovely time.
We ran a bus to Rimini right through the Gothic Line.
On to Bologna we did go.
Then we went bathing in the Po.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

Once we had a blue light that we were going home
Back to dear old Blighty, never more to roam.
Then somebody said in France you'll fight.
We said "F*** that!", we'll just sit tight,
The windy D-Day Dodgers, out in Sunny Italy.

Now Lady Astor, get a load of this.
Don't stand up on a platform and talk a load of pi**.
You're the nation's sweetheart, the nation's pride
We think your mouth's too bloody wide.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, in Sunny Italy.

When you look 'round the mountains, through the mud and rain
You'll find the scattered crosses, some which bear no name.
Heartbreak, and toil and suffering gone
The boys beneath them slumber on
They were the D-Day Dodgers, who'll stay in Italy.

So listen all you people, over land and foam
Even though we've parted, our hearts are close to home.
When we return we hope you'll say
"You did your little bit, though far away
All of the D-Day Dodgers, way out there in Italy."

[Lachlan09]

Did they do one on the Forgotten Fourteenth ? That was certainly forgotten.

So were the "Battling B****rds of Bataan" who felt abandoned.

I believe they also created a song popular amongst them which went

"We aint got no momma, we aint got no poppa and no Uncle Sam.
All we got is nuthin, we’re the battling B****rds of Bataan"