Could be of interest: Robin Williamson (ex-Incredible String Band) did use the melody for his "Lough Foyle" (recorded with the Merry Band on "a Glint at the Kindlings", Criminal Records, STEAL 6) ballad with the following text. It works good to that melody if you hold the tune in some words and alert or skip some syllables at the end of lines.

At age 14 they gave us training
To number off by three and give salutes
To clean & fire the Lee & Enfield
To answer smartly sir & shine the boots
Me & all the other poor bastards
Glengarry bonnets on a bugle call
I never thought I looked good in khaki
It hurt the pride as well as it scratched the balls
I volunteered for the signal section
To work the radios was a skivers joy
& on manoeuvres I'd twist the orders
& put confusion on the soldier boys

To Northern Ireland for summer training
Near to Lough foyle not far from Derry town
To get the feel of the regular army
& generally act the bloody clown
To eat melodious beans & gravy
To sleep on old grey blankets stiff with stains
& on the carsy in the morning
To squat in rows like cows with labor pains

Me & some lads broke out one evening
Climbed through the wire & down the lough beside
We spied some fishers in their long boats
Casting nets out on the silvery tide
They soon pulled shorewards & we got to talking
To row us over the water they'd agree
They hoist us dry shod in the boat beside them
And way across the watery waves went we

Cross to Greencastle in Southern Ireland
A street of cottages set end to end
A couple of churches & several boozers
Where we fell to drinking with our Irish friends
The best black porter, strong beer & whiskey
We had a bevy there as drunk as lords
& all the skylarking & cutting capers
Till that old church clock it chimed for four

The fishers rowed us back over the water
& went to fish upon the morning rise
But we were drunk & our of caution
& we were halted climbing back through the wire
& me & the lads were all defaulted
& straight away upon fatiques were led
To double at our every duty
With our rifles held above our heads

But my good luck was not all departed
I was infected in both the ears
Some kind of a hole in the two of my ear drums
Till not a single order could I hear
I sadle smiled & looked downhearted
While they could curse & shout & rage
& that's the way I would end a story
When I was 14 years of age