"Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers" I imagine as being originally a staunch supporter of appeasement she should have been a tad less vocal once the war erupted and of course she was susepcted of being a nazi sympathiser herself. She was an American who'd moved to Britain yet none of the verses seem to pick up on that. It would have been easy for the British Tommies to have went down the line of you're not even one of us! Says a lot for them that they didn't
"you all miised the point this is called irony" Yes some people just don't seem to actually listen to the words! Even if the irony isn't picked up in the main verses the last verse spells it out that the song commemorates those who fought and died in Italy.
As usual, a politician sticks their nose into something they think they all about and it turns into a snafu, somethings never change. I think all people who served in this campaign were heros.
you all miised the point this is called irony, its joke song writen by the guys in italy because th papers were full of d day, and yes 8th army had everyone in it
Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers, most of whom were staunchly working class and had been radicalised by their war experiences.
I first heard it sung, either by Hamish or possibly by the late Roy Guest, at a concert in Glasgow on the day or day after she died. There was no sentimentality about her death in Glasgow. My late father, who served in Italy, kept a.cyclostyled copy of the words.from the War.
Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers, most of whom were staunchly working class and had been radicalised by their war experiences.
I first heard it sung, either by Hamish or possibly by the late Roy Guest, at a concert in Glasgow on the day or day after she died. There was no sentimentality about her death in Glasgow. My late father, who served in Italy, kept a.cyclostyled copy of the words.from the War.
We will remember. we will always remember the men who gave thier lives for a difference. and were criticized for it. For they were the D day dodgers. way out there in italy.
@badszelong No. Lady Astor was talking about British and American soliders who were in italy and were not going to jump into normandy on June 6 1944. She called them D-Day Dodgers because she did not understand that they were in Italy to confuse the axis into dividing its forces and keep them from knowing the actual invasion location a secret.
@mdc2296 Except she didn't actually.... It was a rumor, with no record. Believe me, she said all sorts of crazy things but this wasn't one of them. Churchill, who knew and disliked her, would have kept her as far away from intelligence as he could get her. (For one thing, she was sometimes nicknamed the "MP for Berlin")
@mdc2296 Was the British unit she was talking about not the 8th Army, which included Indians, Kiwis, Aussies, Canucks, Free French, Greeks, Irish (not all of them would consider themselves British), bokks, Rhodesians (maybe u could count them as British) & Poles? Now maybe not all of those nationalities were represented in the 8th Army when she was supposed to have asked in Parliament why the British & American units in Italy were not in Normandy, but certainly not all of the soldiers she was
@badszelong Yes, I would have thought they were, because they would've probably fought on the beaches of Normandy if they hadn't been sent to Italy. Were these Polish units integrated into the British & Commonwealth 8th Army? If they were then I would say they could definitely count themselves among the D-Day Dodgers.
Can't thank you enough for this one, bigmanio! It isn't often the men at the front get to answer the clueless folks back home. Hamish Henderson was a brave man to speak up in such a gentle way.
Nacho1560--the Churchill exchange was with Bessie Braddock, a truly ugly woman, though it has to be said, Winston was hardly speaking from a position of strength. PS-- i'm just as intrigued as Ranjeeb===what made you think he was being insensitive?.
Was lucky enough to see him LIVE at Dundee, I was 15 and he did his first album and more, great big voice, laugh, fabulous guitar player, kept the place laughing and crying non-stop, TYVM, oh yes he got me listening to Matt as he covered his songs to a high degree.
No doubting the cost of invading Europe and ousting the Germans. Proud of my dad's part in it.
However, mum wasn't too pleased when dad returned home and she found a picture in his kitbag of a beautiful young French woman. He said someone must have planted it there.
So there must have been time for fun in between the fighting.
"Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers" I imagine as being originally a staunch supporter of appeasement she should have been a tad less vocal once the war erupted and of course she was susepcted of being a nazi sympathiser herself. She was an American who'd moved to Britain yet none of the verses seem to pick up on that. It would have been easy for the British Tommies to have went down the line of you're not even one of us! Says a lot for them that they didn't
gaconnochie 5 days ago
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"you all miised the point this is called irony" Yes some people just don't seem to actually listen to the words! Even if the irony isn't picked up in the main verses the last verse spells it out that the song commemorates those who fought and died in Italy.
gaconnochie 2 weeks ago
As usual, a politician sticks their nose into something they think they all about and it turns into a snafu, somethings never change. I think all people who served in this campaign were heros.
MrJohn148 2 weeks ago
you all miised the point this is called irony, its joke song writen by the guys in italy because th papers were full of d day, and yes 8th army had everyone in it
dw441 4 months ago
bit disrespectfull,soldiers did die in italy,also a soldier only goes where he is ordered to.
relmmih6 5 months ago
Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers, most of whom were staunchly working class and had been radicalised by their war experiences.
I first heard it sung, either by Hamish or possibly by the late Roy Guest, at a concert in Glasgow on the day or day after she died. There was no sentimentality about her death in Glasgow. My late father, who served in Italy, kept a.cyclostyled copy of the words.from the War.
sgeir 7 months ago 4
Whether she said it or not, Lady Astor was detested by the soldiers, most of whom were staunchly working class and had been radicalised by their war experiences.
I first heard it sung, either by Hamish or possibly by the late Roy Guest, at a concert in Glasgow on the day or day after she died. There was no sentimentality about her death in Glasgow. My late father, who served in Italy, kept a.cyclostyled copy of the words.from the War.
sgeir 7 months ago
We will remember. we will always remember the men who gave thier lives for a difference. and were criticized for it. For they were the D day dodgers. way out there in italy.
jeffreycoley 8 months ago
Good old Hamish.....sadly gone!
Yeractualpatience 1 year ago
Many Polish soldiers died in Italy... Monte Cassino...Volturno... Gotten-Stellung... Were they D-Day Dodgers as well?
badszelong 1 year ago
@badszelong No. Lady Astor was talking about British and American soliders who were in italy and were not going to jump into normandy on June 6 1944. She called them D-Day Dodgers because she did not understand that they were in Italy to confuse the axis into dividing its forces and keep them from knowing the actual invasion location a secret.
mdc2296 1 year ago
@mdc2296 Except she didn't actually.... It was a rumor, with no record. Believe me, she said all sorts of crazy things but this wasn't one of them. Churchill, who knew and disliked her, would have kept her as far away from intelligence as he could get her. (For one thing, she was sometimes nicknamed the "MP for Berlin")
ajferet 1 year ago
@mdc2296 Was the British unit she was talking about not the 8th Army, which included Indians, Kiwis, Aussies, Canucks, Free French, Greeks, Irish (not all of them would consider themselves British), bokks, Rhodesians (maybe u could count them as British) & Poles? Now maybe not all of those nationalities were represented in the 8th Army when she was supposed to have asked in Parliament why the British & American units in Italy were not in Normandy, but certainly not all of the soldiers she was
robsargent4 10 months ago
@mdc2296 talking about were Brits or Yankees. As far as I know all of the armies were, but not all of the soldiers were.
robsargent4 10 months ago
@robsargent4 Point taken.
mdc2296 10 months ago
@mdc2296 Fair enough.
robsargent4 10 months ago
@badszelong Yes, I would have thought they were, because they would've probably fought on the beaches of Normandy if they hadn't been sent to Italy. Were these Polish units integrated into the British & Commonwealth 8th Army? If they were then I would say they could definitely count themselves among the D-Day Dodgers.
robsargent4 10 months ago
Can't thank you enough for this one, bigmanio! It isn't often the men at the front get to answer the clueless folks back home. Hamish Henderson was a brave man to speak up in such a gentle way.
McGrenzer 1 year ago
Nacho1560--the Churchill exchange was with Bessie Braddock, a truly ugly woman, though it has to be said, Winston was hardly speaking from a position of strength. PS-- i'm just as intrigued as Ranjeeb===what made you think he was being insensitive?.
ramqen951 1 year ago
Lady Astor once castigated Churchill for being drunk. His reply: "In the morning, madam, I will be sober. You will still be ugly."
nacho1560 1 year ago 2
@Ranjeeb What a totally insensitive comment. Kinda similar to Cameron's comments re. our being junior partners to the Yanks in 1940.
nacho1560 1 year ago
He captures the song well, a couple more verses before the last two would have made it even more appealing.
ramqen951 1 year ago
thx for posting =) great stuff, can u plz tell me the name of the album?
greetings from Berlin
friesenlamm 1 year ago
Was lucky enough to see him LIVE at Dundee, I was 15 and he did his first album and more, great big voice, laugh, fabulous guitar player, kept the place laughing and crying non-stop, TYVM, oh yes he got me listening to Matt as he covered his songs to a high degree.
locheelad2 2 years ago
Aye..my dad was one.
Served with the North Irish Horse from Oran to Vienna. Taking in Tunisia, Tunis, Sicilly, Bari, Hitler LIne, the Po, Vienna.
craigowler 2 years ago
My dad landed on Sword Beach on D Day.
No doubting the cost of invading Europe and ousting the Germans. Proud of my dad's part in it.
However, mum wasn't too pleased when dad returned home and she found a picture in his kitbag of a beautiful young French woman. He said someone must have planted it there.
So there must have been time for fun in between the fighting.
nacho1560 2 years ago
@nacho1560 he was a d day dodger. like so many of our fathers. god bless america.
jeffreycoley 8 months ago
@craigowler God bless him, sir!
McGrenzer 1 year ago
cheers for posting, love this song by Hamish
killiekentman 2 years ago