Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,Barrie Roberts Lyr Req: Arborfield Barracks (2) Lyr.reqd: Arborfield Barracks 07 Apr 05


On 13/08/55 the IRA raided the barracks of the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers at Arborfield, near Reading, tied up the guards and got away with a truck full of weapons. Not for long, though -- they were caught soon after.
About 10 years later I heard an elderly Irishman singing a ballad about the event to the 'Villikins and Dinah' tune. Unfortunately he only had one verse:

On the thirteenth of August in the year 55,
A few of our lads with success did contrive
To raid Arborfield barracks by the moon's yellow light,
And tied up the guard under cover of night.

I have subsequently been told that it was originally a poem published in a Republican newspaper and perhaps written by a fellow called Eamon McShonigle.
Anyone out there got the rest of the words?


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.