Picture Of My Dad

Hi, I am trying to find out anything of my fathers army carrea. His name was Cecil Victor Clarke he served in Italy (When i was young he used to sing, When drunk, we are the D Day dodgers out in Italy). This is all the information we got from him, he would not talk about it. The other thing that might be of interest was when we had a thunder storm he used to hide under the stairs, he explained that when in the war he was wearing a headset and lightning struck there antenae.
Please could any one shed any light on his past also i have tried to upload the only picture we have of him and three mates but could not do it.

My e-mail is acl.clarke@btinternet.com

I am sorry but I doubt whether any member of this site will be able to help though your anecdote suggests he was Royal Signals

You are however entitled to a copy of your late father's Army Record of Service from the Army Personnel Centre Glasgow. Your local Royal British Legion should be able to advise you how to apply.

Incidentally the song "we are the D Day Dodgers" was the equivalent of the Desert Rats "Lili Marlene" for 8th Army Italy veterans. It was composed as a sad and angry response to a comment by Lady Astor in the Houses of Parliament that it was about time the British Army in Italy who she accused of dodging D Day got on with the serious business of warfare instead of sunning themselves on the beaches. The song, sung to the tune of Lili Marlene, starts off cheerfully listing the Battles they fought and the hardships they suffered but ends up sadly mourning the friends they left behind forgotten by many.

Submitted by

Len (Ciphers)

THE "D" DODGERS.

THERE IS A MARCHING SONG THE EIGHT ARMY USED TO SING
MARCHING THRO THE DESERT, MARCHING WITH A SWING
BUT NOW WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT GAME.
AND ALTHOUGH THE TUNE IS JUST THE SAME
THE WORDS HAVE BEEN ALTERED -AS WE PROUDLY SING.

WE ARE THE "D" DAY DODGERS HERE IN ITALY
DRINKING ALL THE VINO, ALWAYS ON THE SPREE,
WE DIDN'T LAND WITH EISIENHOWER
AND SO THEY THINK WE'RE JUST A SHOWER
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

HERE'S TO LADY ASTOR, OUR PIN UP GIRL OUT HERE
SHE'S THE DEAR OLD LADY, WHO SENDS US SUCH GOOD BEER
AND WHEN WE GET OUR ASTOR BAND
WE'LL BE THE PROUDEST IN ALL THE LAND
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY.

(Alernate Verse)

DEAR LADY ASTOR YOU THINK YOU KNOW A LOT,
STANDING ON YOUR SOAPBOX AND TALKING TOMMY ROT,
YOUR ENGLAND'S SWEETHEART AND HER PRIDE,
WE THINK YOUR MOUTH'S TOO BLOODY WIDE,
THAT'S FROM YOUR "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HER IN ITALY

NAPLES AND CASSINO WERE TAKEN IN OUR STRIDE
WE DIDN'T GO TO FIGHT THERE, WE JUST WENT FOR THE RIDE
ANZIO AND SANGRO WE'RE O. K.
JUST ANOTHER HOLIDAY WITH PAY
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

AROUND LAKE TRASIMANO WE HAD A LOVELY TIME
BAGS OF WINE AND WOMAN THERE, THEY DIDN'T COST A DIME
BASE WALLAHS, AMGOT AND THE YANKS
ALL STAYED IN ROME , TO DODGE THE TANKS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

WE STAYED A WEEK IN FLORENCE POLISHED OFF THE WINE
THEN THUMBED OUR WAY TO RIMINI THRO THE GOTHIC LINE
SOON TO BOLOGNA WE WILL GO
WHEN JERRYS GONE ACROSS THE PO
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

SOON THE BOYS IN FRANCE, WILL BE GETTING LEAVE
AFTER SIX MONTHS SERVICE ITS A SHAME THE'RE NOT RELIEVED
BUT WE CAN CARRY ON OUT HERE
FOR WHAT MAY BE A FEW MORE YEARS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

ONCE WE HEARD A RUMOUR WE WERE GOING HOME
BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY NEVER MORE TO ROAM
THEN SOME ONE SAID IN FRANCE YOU'LL FIGHT
WE ANSWERED "NO WE'LL JUST SIT TIGHT"
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

WHEN THE WAR IS OVER AND WE'VE DONE OUR BIT
CLIMBING OVER MOUNTAINS, THRO' THE MUD AND SHIT
THEN WE WILL ALL BE SENT OUT EAST
TILL B.L.A. HAVE BEEN RELEASED
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

FORGOTTEN BY THE MANY REMEMBERED BY THE FEW
WE HAD OUR ARMISTICE WHEN AN ARMISTICE WAS NEW
ONE MILLION GERMANS GAVE UP TO US
WE FINISHED OUR WAR WITHOUT MUCH FUSS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE MOUNTAINS IN THE WIND AND RAIN
YOU'LL FIND THE SCATTERED CROSSES SOME WHICH BEAR NO NAME
HEART BREAK AND TOIL AND SUFFERING GONE
THE BOYS BENEATH THEM SLUMBER ON
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY


**AMGOT, Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories


Major Hamish Henderson, 51 Highland Div

[quote="JPW"]I am sorry but I doubt whether any member of this site will be able to help though your anecdote suggests he was Royal Signals

I could be on sticky ground here, JPW, but it occurs to me there may have been other cap badges who were allowed to play with aerials and headsets too !

I was going to mention that Brum,but yoou beat me to it..The operative word in your statement being PLAY...Not something we Siggy types did.

Gordon. wrote:

I was going to mention that Brum,but yoou beat me to it..The operative word in your statement being PLAY...Not something we Siggy types did.

Oh, picture the scene . . .

Second week of an exercise in the depths of a German winter.

It's around 0200 and everybody is edging towards the pit of despair when into the command post bounces Jock the Royal Signals bloke from the rear link veh and announces that they're all "playing".

Ah yes, a couple of Scouser signallers in our troop would have REALLY appreciated that !

Gordon. wrote:

I was going to mention that Brum,but yoou beat me to it..The operative word in your statement being PLAY...Not something we Siggy types did.

Bitch!

Thanks for the info, my Dad use to sing a different version that was a lot muckier than your version. Do the version dictate were the soldiers were stationed? I remember "Tripoli".
Are any of you on Facebook as my Dads Picture is in my files on that site.

Hi all, Managed to upload pic with help from Ginger veitch
Heres the link
https://2img.net/h/i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h460/Alanst500/VictorCecilClarkewithhisPals.jpg

We seem to have two threads on the same subject.