|
The End of the Tale I know Not
I've heard talk about the hard times
Our Dad's had in their war
So I'll unfold you a little story
Round a place called Singapore
-o-
We enlisted in Britain
To go and fight the Hun
As soon as we had signed up
We felt the War was won
-o-
They drilled us in the day time
And taught us stunts at night
They learnt us how to shoot too
And told us we could fight
-o-
We were loaded into trains at night
With all our flaming gear
We were off for embarkation
Leaving all that we held dear
-o-
They packed us on a mighty boat
And jammed us in damned tight
But no-one seemed to care much
Who we were going to fight
-o-
We sailed away from Blighty
From City, bush and town
We knew we would not fail them
Nor would they let us down
-o-
We were not sure where we were going
And no-one seems to care
We were headed for the horizon
And what fate might bring us there
-o-
To tell of our trip upon the sea
Would only be a bore
But when we finally landed
We found ourselves in Singapore
-o-
Everything here seemed queer to us
When first we lamped this joint
And queer things kept popping
Out from every flaming point
-o-
Damned near every race on Earth
Seems to have got tangled here
And bred and re-bred among themselves
With a result that made things queer
-o-
The smell of the place was awful
Made us curdly in the guts
Trying to make ourselves understood
Would damned near send us nuts
-o-
We were loaded into trucks again
And shipped northwards through Johore
By the time we got to our camp
We were fed up to the core
-o-
The trained us every flaming day
Beneath the boiling sun
Blisters rose up on our feet
And buggered us one by one
-o-
What with tin-ear, pimples, dobies, itch
Red tape pipps and N.C.O.'s
Canned fish and curry stew
The ….... was on the nose
-o-
I ate that many tins of fish
That we got from the other side
That I got the rowing of the guts
And that travelled with the tide
-o-
They found us with a lot of barb
For us to make a tangle
It was said in it the Japs would be caught
And then we would put them through the mangle
-o-
We went into a stronghold at Mersing
That was good on every side
Then God damn and blast it all
We meet the Japs outside
-o-
We ran out miles and miles of this
To protect us fore and aft
And we pulled it down again
Because some one was daft
-o-
The wire wouldn't have been any good
In fact it was a flop
No damned Japs got stuck in it
They flew right over the top
-o-
Everyone took it as a joke
And bragged what he would do
Some said they'd wipe the cows right out
Others chased them to the blue
-o-
Before we knew quite how things were
We started playing pranks
He gave us quite a nasty jar
And tore hell out of the flanks
-o-
In no flaming time at all
He'd grabbed the Naval Base
And came tearing down the coast
Like …... horses in a race
-o-
And in even less time than that
Our backs were to the wall
He even told us over the air
That Singapore would fall
-o-
We withdrew down the mainland
Back through Johore, Bahru
We had no flaming aeroplanes
What the hell were we to do?
-o-
Back across the causeway
Feeling savage, tired and sore
Then we blew the damned thing up
And cut them off from Singapore
-o-
Where-ever we had fought them
We had done our level best
But they had savage War-birds
While ours were in the nest
-o-
Every move we made was spotted
Every thought they seemed to know
Their blasted planes were everywhere
Always flying to and fro
-o-
When we retreated to the Island
They bombed us day and night
What the hell could we do?
There was nothing we could fight
-o-
Where was out blasted Air-force
We'd heard so much about
We longed to see some fly over
To chase those bombers out
-o-
The Japs gathered on the mainland
All along the Southern shore
And made ready for a big attack
On the isle of Singapore
-o-
They'd heaped up tons of ammo
For motor and big gun
No one inter (interested?)
Or cared much what they had done
-o-
Their aeroplanes flew over
For positions they did seek
They got ready to let us have it
And were set within a week
-o-
Then on a certain Sunday
When the day was not so old
They began to let us have it
In hill and flat and fold
-o-
All that Sunday afternoon
And all that Sunday night
They rained tons of metal on us
As we took what cover we might
-o-
For seventeen solid hours
They gave us all they had
Things did not look so flaming good
And they turned out flaming bad
-o-
Then they rowed across the channel
That seperates shore from shore
We were ordered “Hold on to your fire”
In the name of the Lord what for
-o-
Next they were right behind us
How in hell did they get there
They banged away on right and left
The cows were everywhere
-o-
Some of our leaders fought real well
Other's didn't know what to do
Some of the B's ran like hell
And left all the men in the stew
-o-
Of the latter I might here make mention
They were great blokes on parade
But most were found sorely wanting
When the acid test was made
-o-
So men who contacted the enemy
Were left to die or get out
While others just blundered around and round
It looked like an Army in rout
-o-
Their bombers came over again and again
And played merry hell where they liked
While we retreat south down the island
Leaving behind guns that were spiked
-o-
Of organisation there was none
You couldn't even get a feed
All you could do was tramp on and on
And sweat and curse and bleed
-o-
Petrol dumps went up in flames
The smoke of which filled the sky
At night it was and awful sight
It appeared that everything would die
-o-
Outside the city we made out last stand
Against all sorts of odds
We were told our Air-Arm was coming
The heads swore it by all their Gods
We hung on through hunger and loss of sleep
With a hope that was worse than all pains
With ever longing looks to the skies
And Prayed God they send us some planes
-o-
But the only planes we were to see
Had a red spot under the wing
They flew around wherever they liked
And felt for us with their sting
-o-
They spotted out every crevice and nook
And where they thought we might lurk
They signalled back to their big guns
Who'd get in their dirty work
-o-
We felt we had been abandoned
That our Country had let us down
But damn it we'd go on fighting
Till every last man was down
-o-
I thought of the men who we had lost
Some of the best boys under the sun
Yet here we were, with no Air-Arm
Just left to die one by one
-o-
Churchill said there'd be no more blunders
No more stories like Greece and Crete
Yet here was a full equipped Army
Without a sign of our Fleet
They shelled hell out of Singapore
And bombed it day and night
Killing hundreds and hundreds of civilians
Poor blighters who could not fight
-o-
For the longest week in all my life
We held on and took all they gave
And swore we'd hold for ever
Or finish in one common grave
-o-
Half fed, dirty, no sleep for a week
We hung on without sign of relief
Not one of our planes were to be seen
It filled us brim full of grief
-o-
Then came another Sunday
It's a day we shall never forget
Words came through from our leaders
To pile arms, we'd lost our last bet
-o-
Why didn't they let us fight on
Many of us would sooner have died
Than suffered disgrace of surrender
And give in to the other side
-o-
We thought of our people back home
And wondered what in hell they would think
We all felt it wasn't fair ending
The whole ….. show was a stink
-o-
Why in the flaming hell were we brought here
Was it just to put up a face
It looked like those, who had the say
Had no intention of holding the place
-o-
It looked like some cows had sold us
Fifth columnists, Malaysians or our own
Maybe the stage was well set up
By someone to us yet unknown
-o-
We were gathered in and marched to Changi
Tired, hungered, sore and depressed
We all felt it was a terrible calamity
And our outlook was far from the best
-o-
Our Colonels and Majors were left with us
Our Captains and Officers too
Maybe that was all for the better
Providing they all proved true blue
-o-
To some of those we have our objections
Those that were not seen to fight
Who shone out like stars on the parade ground
Then blotted out their glamour in fight
-o-
To those I especially made mention
Who yelled we were all one in distress
Yet thought we were not fit to eat with
And still wanted their Officers Mess
-o-
In hospital lay our sick and wounded
With very little to relieve them of pain
Yet some things were used in those Messes
Our stricken could by no means obtain
-o-
Within a month we were broken up in parties
And sent out to big labour camps
Most of us stricken with hunger
Some of us seized with the cramps
-o-
Maybe for us the War's now over
And may be again it is not
Damn it they cannot break our spirit
And we still possess blood that is hot
-o-
Rice is now our stable diet
We get it three times per day
Occasionally they bring us some smokes in
And we buy a few more with our pay
-o-
Three weary months have gone by us
Weeks of work, hunger and hope
Each day we hear thousands of rumours
You long for the fair dinkum dope
-o-
We wonder a lot about our home folks
Whether they have heard about us or no
How we long, yes just to see them
Or of our welfare to let them know
-o-
Some have a moment with their families
As they dream through a restless sleep
Others will not see their loved ones again
For they are at everlasting sleep
Written by G. Sharpe
In River Valley Prison Camp
after 3 months P.O.W.
7.11.42
W.G.Chapman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Page
|
Next Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
