My boy willie?

[orange.paint]

Im currently at the armoured school and this is the first time I have gotten to be dp1 course.Every supper time they sing my boy willie to get fed but to my surprise it was differnt.

My Boy Willie
Oh where have you been all the day
My boy Willie?
Oh where have you been all the day?
Oh Willie won't you tell me now?
I've been all the day courting of a lady gay
But she is too young to be taken from her mother.
Oh can she brew and can she bake
My boy Willie?
Oh can she brew and can she bake?
Oh Willie won't you tell me now?
She can brew and she can bake
She can make a wedding cake
But she is too young to be taken from her mother.

Oh can she knit and can she spin
My boy Willie?
Oh can she knit and can she spin
Oh Willie won't you tell me now?
She can knit and she can spin
She can do most anything
But she is too young to be taken from her mother.

Oh how old is she now
My boy Willie
Oh how old is she now?
Oh Willie won't you tell me now?
Two times six, two times seven
Two times twenty and eleven
But she is too young to be taken from her mother.

I was amased and wondered what the heck I had been taught on my battle school.I could remember bits and peices of mine but finally found it on the sally horse website.

Armoured Corps March
"My Boy Willie"

Verse 1:
The ARMOURED CORPS to the fore,
MY BOY WILLIE,
The Armoured Corps, the King or War,
WILLIE is the fighting breed,
Day or night, dark or light,
The foe will know we're there all right,
We'll be fighting in the front to our battle cry,

Verse 2:
The ARMOURED CORPS' tanks are there,
MY BOY WILLIE,
With clanking treads, and our steel bare,
Turrets in line, and hull combine,
The grandest warriors of our time,
We'll be fighting in the front to our battle cry,

Verse 3:
The ARMOURED CORPS leads the rest,
MY BOY WILLIE,
In war and peace we are the best,
WILLIE'S always in the lead,
Shot or shell, the enemy Hell,
Our charge will let them know damn well,
We are fighting in the front to our battle cry,

Verse 4:
The ARMOURED CORPS sets the pace,
MY BOY WILLIE,
We're in the front of every race,
WILLIE heeds his country's plead,
In any fight, our Guidon bright,
Will send the enemy home in fright,
The ARMOURED CORPS is in the lead with their battle cry.

Even some parts of this just doesnt sound correct but is more or less what i was taught.I understand that the first is the real folk song but does anyone KNOW the history behind the second?And why is it not taught today?Personally i rather the second as it is more "armyish" if I can create words.

thanks in advance

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I can offer this up:

My Boy Willie is the march of the Royal Tank Regiment, which the RCAC inherited.  As I understand it, the song commemorates the First World War tanks "Big Willie" and "Little Willie"...

From the RTR website:

Shortly after the formation of the first official band in 1922, an old Worcestershire folk-tune 'My Boy Willie' was adopted as the Regimental March. The reason for the selection was the association of the name with the first tank 'Little Willie'. It was not until 1944 when a further tune 'Cadet Roussel' was added to the original arrangement by J L Wallace then RMC Sandhurst Bandmaster. This tune is said to be an old Cambrai folk song.

http://www.royaltankregiment.com/pages/MainFrame2.htm

 

[orange.paint]

Thanks teddy.

Anyone know where the heck the second version comes from?It seems to be a new thing to the pers hereat theschool as none of them have ever heard it until now.Maybe I can get it changed to the second one as I think the first is kinda weak(put my mod 5 memo writing to work!~ ;D).History buffs?

 

[ZipperHead]

Go upstairs in J7 and read the original words to the song on the plaque that is outside the 12e RBC classroom. It is originally a English folk-song (IIRC), hence the "weakness" of the lyrics. Like many catchy tunes, the lyrics have been changed (in your more "army" version) to suit whomever had the inclination to modify them (probably an extra duty handed down by an SSM who was disgusted with the original lyrics....  ;D).

Back into listening silence......

Al

 

[Old Sweat]

To go flying willy off the trace, in the Spring of 1967 A Battery 1 RCHA was in the Hohne area supporting a British firepower demonstration. (The Brits had adopted the 105 recently but did not yet have smoke in their stocks, so we fired some demo shoots for the assemblage.) After the event the officers of A Battery visted the Hohne Station Offciers' Mess, which was probably the snootiest place in NATO. As we were heading in the door, what did we hear but one of the RTR regiment's unofficial drum and trumpet corps drunkenly and proudly marching down the middle of the road playing their to hearts out, "My Boy Willie." It was the 50th anniversary of the regiment.

So naturally, having suffered the taunts of the well (or in) bred, we invited the lads to join us in the bar, where they proceeded to play their regimental march to well-deserved excess. We bought each other drinks until collectively we decided we had annoyed the upper class twits enough, and dispersed.

 

[orange.paint]

cheers AL (finally got into 91b2 rrb range? ;D)
Just went up and took a look. Yep what im hoping is that the second version has some really neat history to buff a memo up
I.E
we should be using this due to the fact....

Maybe it has some neat history we don't even realise.or as AL illuded to proably an extra!

 

[Bzzliteyr]

We discussed that "new" song the other day and asked if our students could be allowed to sing it instead of the older song.. More to Follow...