Back in the days of tobacco, after the Loyal Toast, it was sometimes “ Gentlemen, the Queen is drunk, you may smoke!”

Mog

If there was an exchange officer attending, after the Loyal Toast would come "Heads of State here represented" - but if only USAF, it would be "The President of the United States of America"...

If there was a salon orchestra, a few bars of the relevant national anthem would be played next. Which was fine until one day, after "The Star Spangled Banner" had ended, someone yelled "PLAY BALL!".

Cue VERY frosty looks from the PMC and a few days of Orderly Officer for the miscreant!

Which should be properly attributed to R. J. Yeatman and W. C. Sellar, the authors of "1066 and all that", which included a chapter titled "School food: The piece of cod which passeth all understanding"

I always thought that the Grace before sitting down, could set the trend for the inevitable banter during the meal. However it often required a 'certain type' of padre to give it or someone with a natural flair who could make an amusing and appropriate Grace.

The best I think I heard, was when my wife (Mrs Old Duffer) was stationed at Cottesmore - the Grace was delivered by a Luftwaffe officer, in full highland rig and a scots accent at the start of a Burns Night Dinner; I don't remember the words but it brought the house down and set the tone for a fabulous evening.

Old Duffer

…followed inevitably by someone getting agitated because Canada has been forgotten, followed by a Canadian voice bellowing “who the bloody hell do you think our head of state is you *********!”

I would hate to think that Canada had been forgotten abooot, eh?

Toast:

To gunpowder and women,
Live for one, die by the other
Love the smell of them both

Why/how is playing Star Spangled Banner not playing ball?

Birds do it and fly.
Bees do it and die.
Dogs do it and stick to it,
Why don't you and I?

- Ed

This would almost certainly have been "The Selkirk Grace", formerly known as "The Galloway Grace" or "The Covenanters' Grace" before Robert Burns took to using it regularly following a dinner in Selkirk , namely:

Some hae meat an' canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit.

Jack

Here's to king Herod, who was to baby sitting as I am to toasts. And here's to the chef, whose efforts are well meant, but nothing will beat the RAF (pronounced RAAF) Regiment.

I believe post #39 by Mr BEagle answers your query:
"...after "The Star Spangled Banner" had ended, someone yelled "PLAY BALL!".
The USA anthem is usually played before the World Series baseball final (and perhaps others?) followed by the words quoted above.

There was a rumour around 1970, during the worst of the Wilson government, at a Dining In at Akrotiri, Mr Vice stood and announced ‘Ladies & Gentlemen, the military coup’.

I haven't been to a baseball game in ages, but it used to be that every game would start with the national anthem. Immediately after it finished, the head umpire would should "PLAY BALL!" as an indication that the game had officially started.

Anyone remember the 230 Sqn dining out at Gutersloh of the Sqn MO when the python 🐍 escaped under the table? Delightful mayhem, don’t think we got around to post dinner toasts 🥂

I remember a cabbage being turned to cole slaw before the loyal toast at Gütersloh, and there was the bouncy castle catastrophe shortly after I left but Eric (It was Eric wasn't it) getting loose - no.

Maybe it was Eric the python 🐍

Willans and Searle in one of the Molesworth books, surely?

Was set as a sydicate task at Staff College Sandhurst in the 1970s

The Canon of Swansea
 

Was at a DIN at St Athan many, many years ago when the said Canon was invited to dine on the top table and speak. One of the most entertaining DIN talks I've ever heard over some 30 years.

He was about 5 foot nothing but verily I say unto you, the earth seemed to move when he spoke!

He started with "SINNERS ALL!" Delivered with force you would not imagine.

And didn't we sit up and listen! He spoke about cradle to the grave, but HE looked after folks from the "sperm to the worm".

I thought at the time if I wasn't a godbotherer then, if I lived in Swansea and was a visitor to his church, then I soon would be so.

MTB