The D-Day Dodgers

Original Track ID

SA1971.13.B7

Original Tape ID

SA1971.013

Summary

Satirical song detailing the exploits of soldiers in Italy during the Second World War, who had been branded "D-Day Dodgers" by Lady Astor in the House of Commons, alleging they had stayed in Italy to avoid going to France for the big push on the Western Front. Hamish Henderson says he put the song together from several floating verses he heard in Italy at the time.

Preceded by another tale of Lady Astor's suggestion that soldiers returning from the desert, who had allegedly been visiting the main brothel in Cairo, and might thus have contracted sexually-transmitted diseases, should wear a yellow armband when they got home to avoid endangering the populace.

Item Notes

5 verses. Recorded at Heriot-Watt University Students' Union, at a cèilidh in aid of 'Stampede', an Edinburgh people's newspaper. The company joins in the last line of each verse, which acts as a refrain. This version was written or compiled by Hamish Henderson and published in 1947 in his 'Ballads of World War II' for the Lili Marleen Club of Glasgow. Other versions are attributed to Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn, of the Tank Rescue Section, 19 Army Fire Brigade, stationed near Bologna. The tune is by Norbert Schultze, written around 1938 for the German poem 'Lili Marleen' or 'Das Mädchen unter der Laterne', written in 1915 by Hans Leip.

Item Subject/Person

Astor, Lady Nancy

Recording Location

Language

English

Genre

Song Story Information

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R10499

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good