The Shackleton song
 

Can anyone remember all of the words??:confused:

No, I didn't think so, nor can I.

I know some of it.

Shackletons don't bother me
Shackletons don't bother me
Clapped out contraptions with flaps on their wings
F@ck all their pistons and their piston rings
And we're saying goodbye to them all
Three fifths of five eigths of f@ck all
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean
(It seems that I have forgotten a line)

They say that the Shack is a mighty fine kite
This we no longer deny
When you're up there with a MIG on your tail
This is the way to get out, tra la la
Stay cool and stay calm and sedate, mate
Don't let your British blood boil
Don't hesitate, slam it straight through the gate
And cover the bastards in oil

Its a start...

The version that I learnt many moons ago from an ex-Shackleton pilot was slightly different:

Shackletons don't worry me
Shackletons don't bother me
With four Griffon engines and flaps on their wings
Bless all their pistons and their piston rings
'though the bomb load they carry is small
Three fifths of five eighths of f**k all
You'll get no enjoyment from coastal deployment
So cheer up my lads bless 'em all.

Now they say that the Shack is a very fine kite
Of that there is no doubt
If you're in Korea with a MiG up your rear
Then this is the way to get out
Just be calm, be sedate
Don't let your British blood boil
Just sit up quite straight
Throttle back through the gate
And smother the b**tards in oil.


Whatever happened to singing in the bar on a Friday night?

Slightly off subject, but I remember back in the 80's (I think) , during a long transit from Stanley to ISK Terry Rumble wrote a song about the Mighty Nimrod. It was set to a tune by Marliena Dietrich (sp?) and went something like:

rolling down the runway
throttles open wide
watch the Mighty Nimrod
Sway from side to side

'crew in their seats
they're all strapped in
the engines roar
Oh what a din

we're going on patrol boys
we're going on patrol

As I remember, it went on for several verses
each verse taking the pi$$ out of each crew member!

Sorry to be off the point!

Kind regards
TSM
'Caruthers, time for a song me thinks'

I was told a long time ago when I was a spotty ATC cadet that the Shackleton song started life as the Lancaster song. Likewise I believe the Nimrod song started life in Coastal Command during the last war, the obvious subjects being either the Sunderland, Liberator or Catalina.

I had a book once, that was sadly pinched from me by a RAFP, that was full of WW2 songs. The ones that stuck in my mind were the Airborne Song ( ........he hit the ground the sound was splat..........Glory Glory what a helluva way to die.....) and 487 Sqn's song from their time in the WD, also to Marlene Dietriche's famous song.

and similarly... I reckon that 'Nimrod' song may have its origins in another 'world'...

Rolling down the runway, throttles open wide
Feel the mighty fighter sliding side to side
Airborne again - without a 'blip'
It's just one more abortive trip...
But we're pressing on regardless
For the Wing Commander's AFC
and bar!

etc etc

Feel free to substitute 'Jehovah' or whatever the real word is in place of 'fighter'!

Seem to remember the Shack song sang 'down south' being different to the one quoted earlier. Various people took the parts of the crew and bits of the aircraft - you didn't want to be the number 3 engine!

One year at UGSAS, an unwise second year stude decided to play the game, and opted to be the rear gunner of the Lancaster... imagine his surprise when the cry went up "Fire in the rear turret!" :p

When I was in UGSAS the unwise second year stude was No3 engine.

He was still as disappointed when the cry went up....

"No3 engine's on fire!!!"

:D

SHACKLETONS

Shackletons don't bother me,
Shackletons don't bother me.
Clapped out abortions with flaps on their wings,
oil on their pistons and their piston rings.
For we're saying goodbye to them all,
three fifths of five eighths of f*** all.
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
so cheer up my lads, f*** them all.

Oh they say that the shack is a mighty fine kite,
This we no longer doubt. (na na na na na)
When your up there with a Mig on your tail,
This is the way to get out.
Stay cool and stay calm and sedate, Mate,
Don't let your British blood boil.
Don't hesitate, slam it right through the gate,
and smother the bastard in oil.
Singing, shine shine Somersetshire.
The captain looks on her with pride.
He'd have a blue fit, if he saw all the !!!!,
on the side of the Somersetshire.
This is my story, this is my song,
I've been in this Air Force too f@@ing long.
So roll on the Rodney, Repulse and Renown,
we'd mention the Hood but the bastard's gone down.

Chocks away, chocks away,
and we'll f*** all the S.P.'s that come down our way.
And their wives, and their wives,
and we'll chase all their daughters for their f@ing lives.

The first thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some beer,
Some glorious, glorious, glorious beer.
And if we have one pint, may we also have ten,
may we have a ******* brewery said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The next thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some money,
some glorious, glorious, glorious money.
and if we have one pound,
may we also have ten,
may we have the bank of England said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The next thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for some women.
Some glorious, glorious, glorious women.
And if we have one woman, may we also have ten,
may we have a ******* brothel said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

The last thing we'll pray for,
we'll pray for our Queen.
Our glorious, glorious, glorious Queen.
And if she has one son, may she also have ten,
may she have the f@ing air force said the airman, amen.

Chocks away, chocks away,.........etc etc.

Some more gems from an old thread here.

Oggin

and more here ..
http://www.immortalia.com/html/categ...ilot-songs.htm

Nope, that song was written pre-Falklands. Late 70's during an extended Sqn det to Cyprus if memory serves. :D

Neptune version
 

Down here the song was adapted for Neptunes....Same role and seemingly many of the same loveable? traits:

Neptunes they don't bother me
Neptunes they don't bother me
Clapped out contraptions with rips intheir wings
Poofter co-pilots and engines that ping
So if you have a MIG on your tail
Don't let your Aussie blood boil
Don't hesitate, slam 'em right through the gate
And cover the bastards in oil

L1A2,

THAT's the version I recall from the late sixties and early seventies, thanks!

Many a time have I seen the engine start up sequence sung at the beginning, all participants pints in hand eagerly awaiting the cry of "fire on No.3" only to be rather surprised with such variants as; "fire in the starter" "the crew chiefs on fire" or similar, followed by everyone's beer heading that way.

Happy days long long ago...................................................

Can anyone tell me which tune it's sung to?
Thanks.

Thanks, L1A2, that's the version I recall from many drunken stupors in the Malcolm Club at Tengah in the mid-sixties, word for word!

The "...rolling down the runway...", is, if memory serves, one from the Phantom days, in many, many places.

Kind regards,

TheNightOwl.:ok:

Why, it's sung to the tune of The Shackleton Song of course! :ok:

I think there is another wartime ditty called 'Bless 'Em All' that uses a similar tune though. ;)

old songs
 

An old world war 2 Coastal recitation.........

We've flown all f.....g day at fifty f.....g feet,
Weather f.....g awful, f.....g rain and f.....g sleet.
The f.....g compass needle swinging south and f.....g north,
And we made our f.....g landfall at the Firth of F.....g Forth.

We joined this f.....g airforce 'cos we thought it f.....g right,
But we don't f.....g care if we fly or f.....g fight.
But what we do object to are those f.....g ops-room twots
Who sit there sewing tapes on at a rate of f.....g knots.