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21 Oct 02 - 02:26 PM (#807960) Subject: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford This weekend was commemorated the 60th anniversary of this battle. Later, Churchill would say that before it we had no victories, and after it no defeats. At the time he said "This is not the end, or even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning" Italian forces and Rommel's Afrika Corps were engaged by British and Commonwealth forces. Highland units advanced to the skirl of pipes. It gets a mention (for the rhyme?) in a list of US battles in the Colwell's Freedom Is Not Free. Also in Bogle's All The Brave Lads, but the commemorations by both sides give the lie to his assertion that their bones and their cause is forgotten. Anyone heard of, or written, any others? Keith. |
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21 Oct 02 - 04:46 PM (#808073) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Gareth There are poems by Keith ? Douglas And at the risk of being obvious "Lil Marlane" See DT Gareth |
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22 Oct 02 - 03:55 AM (#808326) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford Greetings Gareth, Lillie M is always associated with the desert war, but it does not actually refer to El Alemain, or even Africa. Keith. |
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22 Oct 02 - 05:12 AM (#808370) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Wilfried Schaum Keith - Search the phrase El Alamein (note orthography!) with google, and you get 385 results. Look them through, maybe you find something. Wilfried |
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22 Oct 02 - 07:14 AM (#808419) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: GUEST,Wolfgang copied from http://www.trevortchir.com/lyrics/el.htm Wolfgang
El Alamein |
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22 Oct 02 - 07:18 AM (#808423) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: GUEST,Wolfgang Mountain Men (Jethro Tull) mentions El Alamein. Wolfgang |
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22 Oct 02 - 07:20 AM (#808425) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: GUEST,Martin Ryan There's at least one well known book of Army songs from WWII - can't think of the title at the moment. I know it has several from the desert war - I'll check if any are more specific. Regards p.s. mind you, many such songs are soldiers' bawdy gripes! |
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22 Oct 02 - 03:53 PM (#808769) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: MartinRyan The book I was thinking of was "Kiss me Goodnight Sergeant Major" by Martin Page. He includes "The Party at El Alamein" and "Down by El Alamein", neither with tunes. Regards |
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24 Oct 02 - 04:15 AM (#809898) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford Thanks Martin, I will look out for that one. Thanks Wolfgang, especially for that powerfully evocative set of verses that ended with a mine in the sand. Keith. |
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24 Oct 02 - 09:39 AM (#810100) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Wilfried Schaum Keith - I found some interesting poems, besides the one Wolfgang already has posted: Bandiana. A poem by R. Fraser Thompson "I see in the Border old Higgins Died" the old bloke said to the kid. "I never knew him. The lad replied, "but me father probably did. "Who was he, one of those old time blokes who came here after the war?" "Then sat on their butts and told army jokes, they're a regular bloody bore: "You look at the warehouses full of old bums that do nothing but scoff cups of brew" "This Higgins bloke, he must have been old if he was older than you" "Just button you beak you cheeky young pup, you'll be changing your tune one day. "When you're old like me and your memory's sus you'll be choosy what you say. You see, these old digers you meet 'round the base were the greats in their fields long ago, "They were the cream of the AIF, now their memories are all that they know." "Old photographs only have meaning to them, a past they can never regain" "As they dream of the mates that they lost in Tobruk, in Benghazi or El Alamein". "Now tomorrow you get to the Anzac march, feat you eyes on their medals and bars." "These were earned, not acquired, by blokes you malign." "They are old but are proud of their scars." "And it isn't how fast they march to the band, it just doesn't matter on ounce." "It's where they're going and if they arrive that's the only thing that counts. "Though their eyes are dim and their memory vague, they will treat each other the same." "They'll remember a face they see in the crowd though they're long since forgotten his name." So the young bloke went to the march next day and he listed from dawn until night. An a whole new outlook he gleaned from them, a new world came into sight. And he pondered on all the men he'd defamed and vowed he would change his ideas. He'd look for the old time digger next day and learn from the wealth of his years. But the old bloke never arrived next day, nor the next or ever again. He was somewhere up there with some Rats of Tobruk, swapping furphies 'bout El Alamein'. http://home.vicnet.net.au/~rasigsau/poems.htm ----------------------- Slessor, Kenneth, 1901-1971. The sea poems of Kenneth Slessor / wood-engravings by Mike Hudson, introduction by Dennis Haskell. (Canberra : Officina Brindabella, 1990) ... The poem was written during Slessor's time in the Middle East during World War II as a war correspondent. Beach Burial Softly and humbly to the Gulf of Arabs The convoys of dead sailors come; At night they sway and wander in the waters far under, But morning rolls them in the foam. Between the sob and clubbing of the gunfire Someone, it seems, has time for this, To pluck them from the shallows and bury them in burrows And tread the sand upon their nakedness; And each cross, the driven stake of tidewood, Bears the last signature of men, Written with such perplexity, with such bewildered pity, The words choke as they begin – "Unknown seaman" – the ghostly pencil drips, The breath of the wet season has washed their inscriptions As blue as drowned men's lips, Dead seamen, gone in search of the same landfall, Whether as enemies they fought, Or fought with us, or neither; the sand joins them together, Enlisted on the other front. El Alamein. (p. 41) http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/exhibitions/poetry/Xpoetcat.html --- By the way, there is a fine march "El Alamein" for pipes Wilfried |
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24 Oct 02 - 09:54 AM (#810120) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Wilfried Schaum mysteries over mysteries: my correction disappeared in the meshes of the Net. Again: The march link doesn't work from here, so try it another way: go to http://www.stormpages.com/gordonpb/tunes.htm and follow the link "El Alamein". Tried it from the preview, it worked. Wilfried |
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24 Oct 02 - 02:19 PM (#810341) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford Thank you Wilfried, I hope you enjoyed the search as much as I enjoyed reading your findings. Terrible events so often bring forth the best of human qualities, and of literature. Glueck und gesundheit, Keith. |
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25 Oct 02 - 01:37 PM (#811214) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie Re the comments on Lili Marlene. True, the original "Lili Marlene" predates the 'Desert War' and the lyrics do not mention that theater. But: it was popular with both sides. One major radio station at that time was using it as its sign-off and supposedly a lot of grunts on both sides tuned in. Now there is another song, "The Wedding of Lili Marlene" which I only recall from a 78 my grandfather had. All I can remember is one quatrain: "Men who marched where the desert sands are burning, From Tobruk down the road to Alamein-- In their hearts, pleasant mem'ries are returning, At the Wedding of Lili Marlene." I can search for that 78 if it's important and if the deadline is such that I have more than five minutes to find it before your gig or whatever. Lemme know. :) Chicken Charlie, ardent fan of the 'Desert Rats' |
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25 Oct 02 - 02:06 PM (#811236) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford Not working to a deadline Charlie. I think I remember the wedding song. Was it in an old film? It is always nice for a thread to be put away for future use as complete as possible. Keith. |
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25 Oct 02 - 02:20 PM (#811250) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford I just noticed that there is already a posting of the wedding song in it's own thread. There is a link in the current Lilli Marleen thread. |
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25 Oct 02 - 04:52 PM (#811380) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: MartinRyan Down by El Alamein One night in the desert 'twas calm and serene Our troops moving up in an endless stream The barrage was set for ten p.m. Down by El Alamein Our guns opened fire again and again Our objectives were taken by 9 a.m. The Afrika Korps will rest no more Down by El Alamein Now when this war is over and victory is won And gunners are gunners no more They'll think of the desert for many a day Of the Black Watch, the Gordons with us in the fray Of the Highland Division who chased Rommel away Away from El Alamein Given in Martin Pages "Kiss me Goodnight, Sergeant Major". The author is listed only as "A Gunner of the Royal Artillery, 51st Highland Division, from Arbroath. No air listed - and no comment on the varying verse length. Regards |
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26 Oct 02 - 02:10 PM (#811928) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: Keith A of Hertford Thanks Martin. The voice of an old soldier given life again. |
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30 Oct 02 - 03:40 PM (#814680) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: ced2 My Father who was in the 1st army in Italy and possibly in N Africa used to have some words that fitted to the tune of Willikins & his Dinah. They were as follows:- Now you've all heard of Churchill and his famous cigar, And no doubt you've shufted the native bazzar, But the story I'll tell you is really quite true, How Field Marshall Rommel got knocked in the blue, Too-ral-oo, Too-ral-oo How Field Marshall Rommell Got knocked in the blue. He said that there were more words but could not remember them. ced |
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31 Oct 02 - 04:54 AM (#815015) Subject: RE: Any Alemain songs? From: GUEST,Keith A working A favorite tune for putting your own story to. Was it only British soldiers who called the desert 'the blue'? Keith. |
