A question about 'The Flag'.
Dragging this one up from the depths (pun intended), “The Flag” is actually a b@st@rdised version of “Engelandlied” which is a Kaiserliche Marine (German Imperial Navy) song. You can see the similarities in the song (give it a chance as it takes a wee while to get going!).
Now what is the connection to the RAF? Well, in 1940 the Nazi propaganda machine re-recorded the song and made postcards for the Luftwaffe, Weirmacht and Kriegsmarine for their service personnel to use - the song was “Engelandlied” or otherwise known as wir fahren gegen Engeland. The song was also constantly played on the radio and the RAF Aircrew picked up on it and made their up their own version (suitably embellished to take the p!ss out of their enemies). Here is a postcard example:
Here is the Stuka version:
This is the later version, which is very similar, but is slowed down to something many of us might recognise:
So it is an RAF Aircrew tradition that goes back to 1940, the Battle of Britain and The Few. We should ensure that the story is remembered for future generations to realise the debt we all owe to The Few and how the started the very beginning of the end.
Now what is the connection to the RAF? Well, in 1940 the Nazi propaganda machine re-recorded the song and made postcards for the Luftwaffe, Weirmacht and Kriegsmarine for their service personnel to use - the song was “Engelandlied” or otherwise known as wir fahren gegen Engeland. The song was also constantly played on the radio and the RAF Aircrew picked up on it and made their up their own version (suitably embellished to take the p!ss out of their enemies). Here is a postcard example:
Here is the Stuka version:
This is the later version, which is very similar, but is slowed down to something many of us might recognise:
So it is an RAF Aircrew tradition that goes back to 1940, the Battle of Britain and The Few. We should ensure that the story is remembered for future generations to realise the debt we all owe to The Few and how the started the very beginning of the end.
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 7th Aug 2019 at 01:03. Reason: Fix image links
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian Empires didn't have panzers nor did they march against England,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro...viation_Troops
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German...ng_World_War_I
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005688564/
Last edited by ORAC; 7th Aug 2019 at 09:47.
An F-4 nav once told me that, back in Cold War times, he'd been on a detachment which was visiting a Luftwaffe base. During the evening, some of them thought that it would be fun to sing "The Flag" - so they did. Much tutting and muttering from their hosts, most of whom promptly left the bar.
The RAF boss was mentally composing his speech for the Axminster Shuffle which he thought would inevitably be coming his way once back in Blighty, when the door crashed open. In marched the Luftwaffe mates, loudly singing the original version. Once they'd finished, their Boss said "If you Brits must sing that song, at least get the words right!". Much beer and bonhomie then flowed!
The RAF boss was mentally composing his speech for the Axminster Shuffle which he thought would inevitably be coming his way once back in Blighty, when the door crashed open. In marched the Luftwaffe mates, loudly singing the original version. Once they'd finished, their Boss said "If you Brits must sing that song, at least get the words right!". Much beer and bonhomie then flowed!
I would suspect that the subtlety of a pre Nazi song would be lost on the German hosts and taken as an insult, whether intentional or not , as a reference to the Nazi regime.
Why not bring something new to the party and sing an English drinking song?
Why not bring something new to the party and sing an English drinking song?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The problem, I suspect, is that as with uniforms, they had better ones than we did. Tipperary and White Cliffs of Dover just don't make the cut.
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A few years ago, at a rather drunken wedding event in Hamburg, ( with military connections) my wife and I were the only English in a large hall of Germans (and few Danes). We had obviously not been noticed, as WW2 songs were sung freely by many Germans. During one speech by an older man, my Danish friends went very quiet, and refused to translate what was said, though we got the gist of it, which was unpleasantly Nazi and anti British in tone and which got much applause. We didn't stay long. So I would recommend avoiding ANY nationalist songs, of either country, at least until everyone is too drunk to notice.
I don’t doubt that if you went somewhere similar in Northern England and said much the same about certain minorities/ethnic origins, that you wouldn’t get a similar reaction.
Incidently, I’d have been tempted to break the habit of a lifetime in the above situation and remind them of the war. Then again, discretion is always the better part of valour.
Incidently, I’d have been tempted to break the habit of a lifetime in the above situation and remind them of the war. Then again, discretion is always the better part of valour.
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After a mostly European Flying Exercise the R.A.F. crew including myself were asked to perform a national song. We found that a rendition of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" with the silent verse and the actions was universally well received.
