Roy Palmer did sing, usually to illustrate his books at folk festivals like the long gone Putley FF, it might have been him. He even sponsored me for access to the Bodleian Library so I could do research on a collected song. As it happened I failed on that specific quest and a couple of years later he came across a reference to a snippet of a "folk processed" bit of the song. Old England She Needs Soldiers
He even included one of my songs in a talk about shanties. To lift the talk (it is a parody). Knittershanty

He was a teacher and headmaster in Birmingham but retired early to concentrate on his books. And a thoroughly nice guy.

Wiki on Roy