Some years ago there was a book Kiss me Goodnight Sgt Major, with a foreword by Spike Milligan and cartoons by the chap that cartooned The Cloggies. British Catters can probably furnish the name of the person who compiled it from memory, but my recollection followed my copy of the book off the back of a lorry. This was a compilation of British Troop Songs and Poems of WWII, organized by campaign and location.

This book suggests that many of the songs we have noted were popular in WWII as opposed to WWI, but the WWII versions may have been updated versions of the WWI song. For example, I have heard a version of Dinky-Di updated to cover the Vietnam War.

It is my recollection that it had a version of Christmas in the Workhouse, relocated to Christmas in the Mess, with words like Paupers, Workhouse, Master and Veteran changed to Soldiers, Mess, Major, and Corporal.

Then up stepped a sharp young corporal
Small he was but bold as brass,
"You can take your Christmas pudding,
And you shove it up your arse!"

Dave