Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 01:29 PM

Thank you all! I am short on *digging* time, today, but I will go look at those sources over the weekend and hopefully find the words to the ditty.

That's what I love about the Mducat so much: go looking for a few words and ya get a fantastic, personalised, in-depth history lesson!

THANKS!

kat

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: Dale Rose
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 11:01 AM

Like most anything else, there is a ton of info about submarines on the internet. Here are just a couple of the many links pages available that I have used in the past: Links to WW2 Submarine Pages (Pacific Theater) and Sid's Submariner Info Page. I would imagine that somewhere out there would be someone who knows what you'd like to know (and who might like some of the NPR info in return). Just start digging.

As a small example that was of great interest to me, here is a little info from subnet.com about The USS Blower, SS-325. Not really a lot there, as it entered the war quite late, and encountered no significant action, but still, I found it helpful. I have always especially liked the picture, which I think sets a perfect mood. Whether my brother is among the men on deck, I have no way of knowing, as I did not find the picture until after he was gone.

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 08:13 AM

Cyril Tawney in the UK might be more familiar with older songs.. Tom Lewis is just a young sprog.. Yours, Aye. Dave (who does everything possible to stay on the surface at all times)

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 07:35 AM

G'day kat,

Maybe you need to ask the questions of Tom Lewis - folksing now of (British Columbia?) ... ex RAN Diesel subs.

I heard him here in Australia (and he sings so loud, I think everyone else did as well! - must be something that comes of living in a tin can with a deisel motor).

He also told yarns about living with a lot of deisel fuel and no showers for weeks on end - then being presented on up-river night with TWO bowls of hot water to get body and sould free of weeks of permeated deisel fumes. Tom calimed that, with the aid of a large tim of Swafega and a box of Scotchbrite pads, you could get to look ... and almost smell ... human ... until you got a bit heated up with passion and the deisel rose to the surface!.

I don't have his email or or URL (and they are not on his 1995 CD Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, XSailorX Singer! either). I'm sure a serach would get him, but I can't do it myself, right now, as my internet connection timed out. I will reconnect, send this and fix the time AGAIN!!!!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Boltom

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 06:50 PM

Dale, thanks for sharing that. You would probably really enjoy the program and the books they talked about. Both authors did a lot of interviewing of veterans, by the sounds of it. It was really interesting.

All the best,

kat

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: Dale Rose
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 06:41 PM

Can't help on the song, but it does remind me of my brother Bud who passed away two years ago. He was a radio man on the Navy submarine USS Blower in the South Pacific during WWII. When he got out he joined the Army, and I don't think he ever left the States. BUT, he joined the reserves when his enlistment was up, and he was called up and spent a lengthy tour in Korea. I remember well one of his letters home, he said something to the effect that he'd certainly rather be back in the Navy because you didn't have to dig foxholes in the mud and sleep in them in the Navy!

I wish I could have talked to him about so many things. Add "facilities" on submarines to the list.

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 04:26 PM

That's right! It was something like "Submarines have no latrine, the sailors wear leather britches, something about hanging their tails over the edge, the sons'a'bitches"

Did I udneerstand him correctly, when he said this is what they did when above the surface, and when under, they used drums filled with diesel??? Phew!!!!

Thanks, guys!

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 04:17 PM

I heard it, too. The song included something about wearing leather britches ("breeches" for non-Americans).

Subject: RE: Help: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: MMario
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 04:16 PM

probably somethin- 'atches

Subject: No Latrines - early submarine ditty??
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 04:12 PM

ON the NPR program, today, they had a wonderful hour long discussion on the first one hundred years of submarines in North America's history. When they get the archives up, you may be able to listen to it here. I've copied and pasted the info which is up at NPR's site.

One of the speakers, the author, Peter Maas, talked about how the earliest subs had no bathroom facilities. He mentioned there was a little ditty they used to sing about "Submarines have no latrines....something, something, they hang their tails over ??, the sons'a'bitches" Sons'a'bitches rhymed with the words I didn't get because I was driving at the time. Any of you know it? THANKS!

What follows is the info about the show:

HOUR TWO: 100 Years of Submarines in the U.S. Navy

GUESTS: SHERRY SONTAG *Investigative Journalist *Co-author, "Blind Man's Bluff" (Public Afffairs, 1998)

PETER MAAS (MOSS) *Author "The Terrible Hours:The Man Behind the Greatest Submarine Rescue in History" (Harper Collins, 1999)

BLADEN CLAGGETT *Retired Captain, U.S. Navy (served during World War II)

The U.S. Navy bought its first submarine a hundred years ago. They developed from unreliable diving boats into the lethal marauders of the second world war, and are now the most powerful ships of war ever built. What role did they play in American combat? Are they still viable? Join guest host Neal Conan and guests for the story of the U.S. Navy's submarines and the men who sailed them, on the next Talk of the Nation, from NPR News.