The D-Day Dodgers - British WW2 Song

Рет қаралды 22,682

3 ай бұрын

The D-Day Dodgers were Allied servicemen who fought in Italy during the Second World War. The D-Day Dodgers also inspired a popular wartime soldier's song (Roud Folk Song Index no. 10499).
A rumour spread during the war that the term was publicized by Viscountess Astor, a Member of the British Parliament, who supposedly used the expression in public after a disillusioned serviceman in Italy signed a letter to her as being from a "D-Day Dodger". However, there is no record that she actually said this, in or out of Parliament, and she herself denied ever saying it.
Reference to a "D-Day Dodger" was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of Allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was a reference to someone who was supposedly avoiding real combat by serving in Italy, whereas the reality was anything but.
The song was written in November 1944 by Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn of the Tank Rescue Section, 19 Army Fire Brigade, who was with the 78th Infantry Division just south of Bologna, Italy.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day...
Performed by Sods' Opera.
Links to the images:
warfarehistorynetwork.com/art...
www.awm.gov.au/collection/128556
collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.p...
collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.p...
collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.p...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...
/ a_curious_italian_woma...
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262363177665

Пікірлер: 92

@aldgate 3 ай бұрын

Such a shame they didn't get the recognition they deserved, the Italian front was brutal as all hell

@irishdano100 2 ай бұрын

Probably because the Americans didn't do the heavy lifting and even stopped the Canadian advance so they could make a glorious but unearned entrance into Rome

@DanielsPolitics1 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, I’ve been working my way into this history, and it’s pure luck that my chosen historians have specialised in this, otherwise I wouldn’t appreciate how bleakly awful it was.

@reecewaters6344 3 ай бұрын

American military songs: full of balls to the wall energy and pride. British military songs: embodiment of shared sufferance.

@stevewilson5292 2 ай бұрын

Oh, I dunno ......a lot of Civil War songs are not exactly rah-rah: "Lorena", "We are Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground", etc.

@thefanboy3285 2 ай бұрын

Then someone whispered, "In France you'll fight" We said, "Fuck that, we'll just sit tight" lmao. Old people were savages

@Viscount_Castlereagh 3 ай бұрын

I can just imagine these brave men singing this for the first few times in the mess hall trying to keep moral up.

@petermcallister107 2 ай бұрын

Mess hall!!!!! Those poor buggers fighting their way up the boot would be glad for a muddy foxhole!

@charleswhite758 Ай бұрын

I doubt they ever sang it. Probably written after the event. Too maudlin and introspective for soldiers to be singing about themselves. Soldiers like cheery songs.

@archimedesfromteamfortress2 Ай бұрын

Today marks the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. Salute to the D-Day heroes and dodgers alike.

@johnstuart7244 3 ай бұрын

My Grandpa Stuart, a proud D Day dodger. !!

@Richard.Allsop 3 ай бұрын

My Grandpa too! Africa and Italy.

@-_J_- 2 ай бұрын

Better than being a japanese POW, I envy what your grandad's went through compared to mine XD

@wealdmotorsport5457 Ай бұрын

My Grandfather was a in the 7th Battalion the Rifle brigade... survived a shrapnel injury on the outskirts of Anzio.....15mm between life and death... He passed away peacefully in 2018 age 96...

@paulholloway1447 Ай бұрын

Mine was 7th battalion oxf bucks

@tamkin007 Ай бұрын

My great uncle died at Anzio

@paulholloway1447 Ай бұрын

@@tamkin007 Terrible battle

@petermcallister107 2 ай бұрын

The last verse can almost,unashamedly,bring me to tears. From sunny Scotland.

@wildsurfer12 Ай бұрын

Rushi Sunak has this song saved to his favourites.

@ChrisSpriggs-rj2ys Ай бұрын

Beat me to it 😊😅

@gaminguniverse2477 2 ай бұрын

Brutal front and yet they ain’t bragging they are just laughing and having a good time between fights this is the British spirit that makes me proud to be one

@edwardellery3032 Ай бұрын

Remember dad saying he wore his overcoat all day in North Africa the flies the heat of the lorry and the cold by night then went to Italy Monte Cassino and many other battles, the war didn't kill him but in civvy life he drank heavy think he said only eleven of his company came back.

@jeannie920 Ай бұрын

My mother used to sing this when I was a child. I still remember all the words. She had a brother in the 8th Army in Italy and he sent her the words.

@benjaminprentice7186 Ай бұрын

Grandpa was in that lot - 8th army. Looking at the medals now. Do try to appreciate what he did.

@benjaminprentice7186 Ай бұрын

Sorry, mean I try to appreciate - not a demand.

@JohnCampbell-rn8rz Ай бұрын

Gotta mention that 5,300 of those D-Day Dodgers who stayed in Italy were Canadians. My father-in-law was one who came home, with shrapnel behind his ear for the rest of his life.

@dirtyASSS Ай бұрын

Just for the record, how many of those brave fellas were there because of a draft?

@josephsardena3251 Ай бұрын

My Uncle Ted was in the 1st Armoured and fought all the way from North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Austria. The D Day Dodgers fought all the way with 2 sea invasion included.

@lunachu8691 Ай бұрын

How do you defeat an enemy that has this type of attitude? You can’t

@tamkin007 Ай бұрын

My Grandad was in the 44th reconnaissance corps. And my great uncle is buried at Anzio

@melanierobinson2996 2 ай бұрын

My darling dad used to sing this song Xxx

@andym5900 Ай бұрын

Africa , Sicily, then monte cassino ,,,,,,,,,, some picnic Passing Monte Cassino on a family holiday was the only time I ever saw my father cry in his 92 years

@bigj7570 27 күн бұрын

My great grandad Joe lived this and landed in Naples and pushed all the way up to the brennet pass. He was a tank driver and drove many heavy armour including the Churchill vI and the Sherman and many others including human transportation saveing many life’s ,21st tank brigade attached to the 48th royal tank which pushed through the mountain terrain flatlining Jerrys quite literally but I’m his great grandchild and he played this song at his funeral along with summer holiday by cliff richard and lastly Amarillo-Tony Christie.

@frankbateman7439 Ай бұрын

Dad was with RE's 7th Armoured Division (Guards Armoured Brigade)

@johnhorse5551 3 ай бұрын

my grandad was there he went too Normandy d-day +20 days,in North Africa for the first 3 years

@TheIrishvolunteer 3 ай бұрын

Hang on, I think they are being a bit sarcastic!!!

@AtheAetheling 3 ай бұрын

The Brits and the Irish have always made sarcasm into it's purest art form.

@Briselance 3 ай бұрын

Sarcastic? I say, good sir! That would utterly surprise me, indeed.

@NobleKorhedron 3 ай бұрын

Of course they are - it's the bitter sarcasm of men suffering unjustified criticism, for something that wasn't true...

@antorseax9492 3 ай бұрын

@@NobleKorhedron The comment is being sarcastic

@GillianCresswell Ай бұрын

My lovely dad. 8th army Royal Artillery gunner, sergeant at 19. Dunkirk, north African and Italian campaigns. El Alamein and Monte Casino. I know he witnessed some terrible things but never wanted to tell us about them. He died aged 94 and I love and miss him so much to this day. Thank you dad xxx

@geoffreypettitt9378 Ай бұрын

June 6th, 2024 Rishi Sunak - The Real D-Day Dodger. Vote him OUT!!

@GillianCresswell Ай бұрын

You are so right. The ultimate D Day Dodger. Never a truer word.

@thebristolianmackem2039 2 ай бұрын

My grandad Robert broom was one of the survivor's him and his best friend alfred unfortunately other family didn't make it like Leonard the battle of monte casino

@GreenJackets077 3 ай бұрын

It would be very nice to hear Marlene Dietrich sing this!

@NihilsineDeo1866. 3 ай бұрын

Nice mate 🇬🇧

@johnbest4513 3 ай бұрын

Listening with my dog laying in the sun.

@jackjohnston1298 3 ай бұрын

Amazing👍

@99IronDuke 3 ай бұрын

Good stuff.

@prengot Ай бұрын

this song, like Lili Marlene, is perfect

@Taistelukalkkuna 2 ай бұрын

What a genius nickname. As we all know well, average grunt can choose where he serves. And not that the 8th Army had any meaningful action previously. Like say, in Africa? /s

@bettydavies6716 Ай бұрын

My Dad was wounded in Africa. He was in hospital when the rest of his regiment got shipped off to Italy where, according to him, they were all wounded or killed.

@eugene4270 3 ай бұрын

Awesome, thanks for uploading this

@patrioticarchive 3 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@bobmcrae5751 3 ай бұрын

The Canucks, Brits and Yanks were called D-Day Dodgers because after the Normandy invasion most of the media attention went to the war in NW Europe and the Italian theatre was mostly ignored.

@99IronDuke 2 ай бұрын

The moronic Lady Astor called them "D Day dodgers" in a idiot speech.

@deborahredhead9620 2 ай бұрын

Respect.....

@ianjohnson4857 Ай бұрын

Bitter fighting in Italy just like WW1 conditions at times.soft underbelly not, but a tough old gut.

@johnbest4513 3 ай бұрын

Love it.

@matthewbrowatzke6024 Ай бұрын

It was but operation overlord took the front-page because it was a more heard on the radio

@nikkonichols 3 ай бұрын

This whole album 🔥🔥🔥

@megannii_ 3 ай бұрын

im ltieiraly going to cry bc sods' opera disappeared on spotify

@oliversherman2414 3 ай бұрын

Can you do "The British Grenadiers"?

@patrioticarchive 3 ай бұрын

I've recently uploaded a compilation of British Grenadiers: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nLCYdc6Qp9O9gYk.htmlsi=uYwkT8JVOm_IqiJ0

@oliversherman2414 3 ай бұрын

@@patrioticarchive nice 👍🙂

@VIETNAMESEBALLER_28383 2 ай бұрын

Just like Drei lilien

@robynjones7691 Ай бұрын

If Nancy Astor ever did say this then it would be to her eternal shame. I see she denied it. Well, you would, wouldn’t you! A bit like her son years later. It must have been something in the genes, perhaps 😔

@patrioticarchive Ай бұрын

What did her son do?

@anthonyeaton5153 2 ай бұрын

Ironic I would say.

@Sean-xq4fw 3 ай бұрын

Didn't know the whole lady astor thing; talk about stabs in the back coloured persons, Jews and especially Catholics!! What one mixed up bird

@tadeuszmggle6676 Ай бұрын

The Poles took Monte Cassino & went all the way to Anzio and in the end ( end of WWII) they couldn't go back home because the Western leaders gave Poland to Stalin and so they had to endure another 43 years of occupation before the war really finished for Poland

@WaxenPaken 3 ай бұрын

Hello

@patrioticarchive 3 ай бұрын

Hello there

@HappyChonger 3 ай бұрын

Hello

@StephenDouthart Ай бұрын

I don't think that's Hamish Henderson's song 🤷

@jhitjit 3 ай бұрын

Was it worth it?

@patrioticarchive 3 ай бұрын

Perhaps not, but I still think it's important to honour the soldiers who fought in WW2.

@arnijulian6241 3 ай бұрын

Just because most have degenerated to global-socialism=woke instead of national-socialism=fascism or international-socialism=communism doesn't mean those that fought for the allies efforts were in vain. Despise the collective & praise the individual! I consider the extinction of the human species preferable to global dominion of the collectivist which includes all form of socialism but not limited to it. Self-actualization, Self-ownership, Self-sufficiency & more is only lost when we submit. I might be a Classical libertarian as John Locke is my taste & stoic of sorts. Our elders kept collectivism at bay but their greatest mistake was thinking the figfht was over after ww2 which it wasn't as it became a war of the mind instead of a conventional war. Confound politics especially of them on the continent!

@Viscount_Castlereagh 3 ай бұрын

Those men and women fought hard for the country, way of life and home. It's not their fault that their descendent's have thrown it away and made a mockery of their sacrifice.

@jhitjit 3 ай бұрын

@@Viscount_Castlereagh NS germany wasnt threatening their country or way of life. They were coerced into fighting against their blood brothers

@mojowwwav4357 3 ай бұрын

@@jhitjit It"s insanely pathetic and ironic that had NS Germany not started a world war, looting and pillaging France and Bombing Britain then it's likely those countries would have maintained European hegemony over Africa and Asia, Germanies actions caused the world we live in today, they couldn't stand being put in their rightful place after ww1 so they had to throw a tantrum and get themselves and the rest of eastern europe f**ked by the Soviets. Their actions left Britain and France broke and unable to maintain their empires, allowing the Monroe doctrine from the US to pressure them to decolonise to prevent the spread of communism that could have been done by Britain itself like it did in Malaysia if it hadn't been weakened by two of Germanies massive tantrums. Also that blood brothers stuff is delusional naive nonsense, it shows NS Germany didn't understand british policy towards the continent that goes back to the war of spanish succession, *no* hegemony on the mainland, they fought the spanish under the Habsburgs, napoleon, ww1 etc. Who cares if they saw them as brothers, it's naive to think that would change anything, and either way, you can tell who they thought is (or should be) the bigger brother. Germany should have been balkanised after WW1, it barely even a unified country for a century and Poland should have been the bulwark against the Soviets. But of course you'll ignore these realities and think the germany should have just gotten it's way.