Company singalong

[happy daze john in oz]

We all sailed with a great variety of shipping companies and have many and varied stories to tell. Listening to a piece of music brough back to mind part of a song we sang on UCL.
'Nothing could be finer than a Union Castle Liner in the morning,
Nothing more disturbing than a dirty night in Durban in the morning'.............. there was more but I cannot recall.
Do any of you remember any songs or ditties that represnted other shipping companies?

[stevesherratt]

This is a rich vein of recollections John and for me I remember a line that used to echo around the alleyways as we entered the straights of Hormose to the tune of Glochamora “How are things in Rastanura” and all the Tanker men will know what I mean.

Steve R770014

[Doc Vernon]

Here is one from the Clan Line!

Sung to the Tune "Bless them All"
There's a Clan boat just leaving Bombay,
Bound for old Blighty's shore;
Heavily loaded with bum engineers,
Bound for the land they adore.
She's down by the head, she's listing to port,
She's making three knots with the tide;
But you'll get no enjoyment in the Clan Line employment,
So come on, me lads, bless 'em all!

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all;
The Tindal, the Kasab and all;
Bless all the "Sparkies", they're all round the twist;
Bless all the pursers, and their limp wrists!
If the engineers can get us home,
The "Kali Pani" no more will I roam;
'Cause you'll get no promotion, this side of the ocean,
So cheer up, me lads, bless 'em all!

There is the "Old Man", he's counting the days
'Til they will let him retire;
There stands the Chief; he's gnashing his teeth -
All the coal that he's bought just won't fire.
But there's many a 'prentice just starting his time,
There's many a fool's just begun -
That's signed with "Scots Navy" for four years of slavery,
Out here on the Hooghli run.

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all;
The Engineers, Two, Three and Four;
Bless the Kalasi and Secuni,
Bless the Serang and the Bhundari.
Though the Burra Sahib says "When we dock -
You won't see me back with this lot!"
Next trip you'll find, he'll be back with Clan Line;
So cheer up, my lads, bless 'em all.




The Old Red Duster

I remember the day
That I climbed the gangway,
My new coat and jacket so clean;
No bacon and eggs,
Till I got my sea legs,
My first trip, my god, I was green.

Chorus:

It's the old red duster for me,
I've no use for the brass-hat navy;
You can keep your salutes
And your spit polished boots,
It's the old red duster for me.

On many's the ship,
I've made many's the trip,
On oceans and seas, far and wide;
Many ports, near and far,
Been thrown from the bar,
And many's the young girl beguiled.

I sailed in the war,
Like my uncle before ,
From Britain, right down to Bombay;
I shouldered my bag,
I sailed for the flag ,
The glory, the medals ... and the PAY!

I was pulled from the pool,
I was nobody's fool,
There was a jaunt up to Murmansk for me;
But the Union said, "No!
There's a fault, you can't go!"
It's the Union forever for me.

This sturdy old tramp's
Got a foc'sl that stamps,
Her plates are half sprung and they leak;
The food's always bad,
And the Master's gone mad,
And the owner's a bastard, and cheap.

I've sweated and slaved,
At this engine I've raged,
Nursing this cripple along;
For her joints, they're a-creaking,
And her glands they're a-leaking
At six knots, she's racing along.

I've been in the hold,
In the heat and the cold,
All day and all night as well;
And when my time draws near,
I've nothing to fear,
For I've been where it's hotter than hell.

So now you all know,
Why the good sailors go,
Merchant seamen to be;
If you want any more,
Like what come before,
You can bloody well sing it to me.


K.G.5

As I was a'walking down by K.G.5.
I saw an old trampship tied up along side
The M.V. hardship that were her name
She were bound out to Kiwi and back home again.
CHORUS
Pound away, pound away, from London to Kiwi is a hell of a way.

Saild down the channel on a cold frosty day
Then rounded Ushant & it's South cross the Bay.
The 2nd stewards 'fruit' and the cook he is too
The bugger each other and the rest of the crew.

There's nothing for dinner, there's nothing for tea
But that fat cook he keeps winking at me
Him and that steward are a bloody disgrace
Just see the look on the galley boys face!

The Mate is a bastard the Seconds the same
The Bosun has Work as his middle name
As for the Old Man well no one can say
'Cause no bugger's seen him since sailing day.

When we got to Kiwi we all went ashore
Of to Ma Gleeson's to get us a whore
But when we got there the pickings were poor
'cause the P.S.N.C. lads had been there before.

Now the voyage has ended in West India Dock
To Charlie Brown's with our pay-off we'll flock
Soon we may sign with Ropner's or Glen
But the M.V. hardship we won't see again.

[Jim Brady]

This is to amuse Capt Kong because I know he is a bit paranoid about me being in the Plate House.
I was on the Empress Of Britain in the Plate House,Ithought I would better myself and go waiting on.I bought myself a new Tuxedo,White Shirts,Dickie Bow and Black Shoes.
I did the trip and at the end of it I obviously was not up to scratch because the Head Waiter sang to me to the tune of "Knees Up Mother Brown" Back to the Plate house you must go E.I.E.I.E.I.O.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Jim B
Sounds as though your Trousers were too short mate haha!
Those Head Waiters were always pulling ones Legs haha!
Cheers