No flak
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No flak
My father did a tour with 50 Squadron. When I was a child he would sing me to sleep with the refrain from this song.
In the year anno domini one nine four one
Operations decide there was a job to be done
Could have been Dusseldorf or Bremen or Hamm?
But the laddies in 5 group did not give a damn
As they went into briefing the COs did call
There’ll be plenty of fighters/searchlights but no flak at all.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
As 50 squadron Hampdens went out to bomb Kiel
The aircrew, as usual, had not had its meal
And as they crossed Texel the gunner did cry
There’s a Messerschmitt fighter .. port quarter and high
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
They looked oer the side .. it was easy to see
The pride of old Goering.. the 109E
There was no sign of panic, no sign of fear,
But they took violent action in defence of the rear
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all.
From a night fighters cannon, the tracers did shoot
The gunner cried out it had missed by a foot
He blazed off his Vickers, called Jerry rude names
And cheered when the Messerschmitt went down in flames.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
And over the target down there below
The city was lit by a dull reddish glow.
The observer to the pilot did shout,
Open the bomb doors, let the beggars look out
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
He pressed the old tit and the s**** whistled down
Hurrah cried the gunner, they're smacking the town
But the natives of Kiel took a rather dim view
And showed there are flak guns there was more than a few.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
They blazed out their armament, heavy and light,
till the heavens resembled Brocks benefit night.
Each AAs opened up over the drink
And the crew to the observer created a stink
Oh get us a fix to the wops they did yell
If you don’t hurry up we will end up in hell
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
Fix was obtained to dm three?
As they went in to pancake they chortled with glee
Shot horrible lines to intelligence blokes
Who give air crew cheer up coffee and smokes
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
Here's a moral for pilots, for gunners and wops
If you want to stay healthy don't do any ops
And if in the next war they want you to fight
Keep your feet on the deck and sleep tight every night
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
In the year anno domini one nine four one
Operations decide there was a job to be done
Could have been Dusseldorf or Bremen or Hamm?
But the laddies in 5 group did not give a damn
As they went into briefing the COs did call
There’ll be plenty of fighters/searchlights but no flak at all.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
As 50 squadron Hampdens went out to bomb Kiel
The aircrew, as usual, had not had its meal
And as they crossed Texel the gunner did cry
There’s a Messerschmitt fighter .. port quarter and high
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
They looked oer the side .. it was easy to see
The pride of old Goering.. the 109E
There was no sign of panic, no sign of fear,
But they took violent action in defence of the rear
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all.
From a night fighters cannon, the tracers did shoot
The gunner cried out it had missed by a foot
He blazed off his Vickers, called Jerry rude names
And cheered when the Messerschmitt went down in flames.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
And over the target down there below
The city was lit by a dull reddish glow.
The observer to the pilot did shout,
Open the bomb doors, let the beggars look out
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
He pressed the old tit and the s**** whistled down
Hurrah cried the gunner, they're smacking the town
But the natives of Kiel took a rather dim view
And showed there are flak guns there was more than a few.
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
They blazed out their armament, heavy and light,
till the heavens resembled Brocks benefit night.
Each AAs opened up over the drink
And the crew to the observer created a stink
Oh get us a fix to the wops they did yell
If you don’t hurry up we will end up in hell
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
Fix was obtained to dm three?
As they went in to pancake they chortled with glee
Shot horrible lines to intelligence blokes
Who give air crew cheer up coffee and smokes
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
Here's a moral for pilots, for gunners and wops
If you want to stay healthy don't do any ops
And if in the next war they want you to fight
Keep your feet on the deck and sleep tight every night
No flak, no flak at all. Plenty of searchlights but no flak at all
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Excellent 
Historic lines. Thanks for posting.
I once had an old german professor as neighbor living next door who was born and raised in the city of Kiel.Out of their high school all of his teenage class had to serve as Flak soldiers around Kiel. He was traumatized until high age by that experience having witnessed major bomber attacks as well as aircraft being shot down.
I once had an old german professor as neighbor living next door who was born and raised in the city of Kiel.Out of their high school all of his teenage class had to serve as Flak soldiers around Kiel. He was traumatized until high age by that experience having witnessed major bomber attacks as well as aircraft being shot down.
A Generation later....some of us were flying combat in Vietnam where we frequently found ourselves on a two-way shooting range.
We enjoyed some rowdy nights in the Mess and used song to liven up some evenings after a decidedly bad day.
Years later on a TV Program called "Austin City Limits" I saw this group of Vietnam Veterans perform some of their songs.
Several tracks of this linked music still hit home to me...one in particular as I was in the vicinity of the combat action when it took place and heard radio transmissions from those engaged in the fight.
Pull up your chair....get your favorite Adult Malt Beverage to hand...and enjoy the songs.
Raise a glass to Cobra 7, an Air Force FAC who went the extra mile for the guys on the ground.
We enjoyed some rowdy nights in the Mess and used song to liven up some evenings after a decidedly bad day.
Years later on a TV Program called "Austin City Limits" I saw this group of Vietnam Veterans perform some of their songs.
Several tracks of this linked music still hit home to me...one in particular as I was in the vicinity of the combat action when it took place and heard radio transmissions from those engaged in the fight.
Pull up your chair....get your favorite Adult Malt Beverage to hand...and enjoy the songs.
Raise a glass to Cobra 7, an Air Force FAC who went the extra mile for the guys on the ground.
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Being an enlisted man flying out of Phu Loi Vietnam we didn't get to enjoy rowdy nights in the mess. We were too busy pulling maintenance on the aircraft getting them ready for the next day.
Last edited by David Layne; 5th Sep 2019 at 14:49.
You did work hard...along with guard duty and other tasks. There was an enlisted club/mess where you could do as we did. My last night on my first tour I stopped in our enlisted club and bought a lot of beer and thanked the guys for what they did.
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Xin Loi. Just pulling your officer leg! I only had guard duty at the beginning of my tour. https://davidelsblog.wordpress.com/security-platoon/
We had an enlisted men's club but I didn't go in there much. I ran the company projector. A task that necessitated a weekly trip to Saigon and a visit to Tu Do Street. Crazy days!
We had an enlisted men's club but I didn't go in there much. I ran the company projector. A task that necessitated a weekly trip to Saigon and a visit to Tu Do Street. Crazy days!
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The OP's song is based on an inter-war RAF ditty from the Middle East or NorthWest Frontier, with the chorus, "No balls at all, no balls at all, if your engine cuts you'll have no balls at all."
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