The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #128827 Message #2912007
Posted By: Ross
22-May-10 - 12:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Harry Tate's Navy (J Conolly, B Meek)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Harry Tate's Navy (J Conolly, B Meek)
Hi Brian; yes, I'm afraid it's one of my own tunes
The words are supposed to convey a bit of my Dad's angst in coming to terms with 'what happened' after the war had ended
His medals where in my play bin for most of the sixties and the most you could get out of him was that he'd been lowered in a diving suit with a broom to sweep the mines
Roger Waters had a great line - 'Did you exchange, a walk on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage'
He found the RNPSA (to his surprise) whilst on holiday in Lowestoft in the late 70's - the medals were polished up and he never missed a reunion until he died
It helped him a lot to understand & he made a lot of friends
Surprisingly, he was involved in D day, clearing mines to allow the bigger ships safe passage across the channel - He got the France & Germany Atlantic Star medal for that
I was talking to one of his friends who was in RAF ground crew in England during the war & what he remembered about D day
As it was top secret; he didn't know - it was just a BUSY day