Just to tie up one or two loose ends. The Royal Naval Air Service was the Navy's Air Arm, up to 1918 when it joined with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. In the UK Bless 'em all was often an airmens' song.

Airman was a rank in the RFC and I think it still is in the RAF.

The Kiwi version is interesting, Sam, dating from post-1941 when the Hood was sunk. In the Royal Navy there were words of 'Roll on the Rodney the Hood and Renown, this four-funnel bastard is getting me down' referring to ex-US lend-lease destroyers. Now that version must be about late 1940 early 1941, when the first lend-lease detroyers came into service and before the Hood blew up.

There must be many personalised versions throughout the Allied forces of WW2, so personalised that everyone knew it was 'their song'. What a fascinating thread.

Les