Cyril Tawney's Book "Grey Funnel Lines" is an account of folk-song in the 20^th Century Royal Navy and well worth a read.

COPAC search gives:

  Main Author:      Tawney, Cyril
  Title Details:    Grey funnel lines : traditional song & verse of the Royal
                    Navy, 1900-1970 / [collected and compiled by] Cyril
                    Tawney 
       Publisher:        London : Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987 
  Physical Desc.:   xvi, 177p : ill ; 24cm 
  ISBN/ISSN:        0710212704 
       Subject(s):       Sea songs in English. Words - Anthologies
                    Sailors - Great Britain - Songs and music - Texts
                    English poetry - 20th century
                    Sea poetry, English
                    Sea songs - England
                    Songs, English - Texts 
  Language:         English 
       Holding Libraries:  Cambridge - contact Cambridge University Library :
                      M290.c.95.40
                      Dublin - Trinity College Library : HL- 95-498
                      Nottingham - Hallward Library ; PR1195.S417
                      UCL - Science Library ; FLS E 57 TAW 
  

AndyG