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Union Flag
The Union flag is flown at the Jack or flagstaff situated at the very front of a ship, when it isin harbour. The flag represents the Union or Commonewealth of Britain and is made up of -

The Red & White of Wales

The Cross of St George on a white background.

The White cross of St Andrew on its Blue background

Red cross of Ireland

The Ensigns

The Three colours Red White & Blue in that order are used to create the three maritime ensigns. Which depict in the top left corner the union flag. This flag is flown at the stern in harbour or at the masthead at sea.

The White Ensign

In days past. Britain had many fleets. Each commanded by an Admiral, who flew his own flag on the ship wwithin which he was currently residing in.

Admirals were in order of seniority known as

Admiral of the Fleet

Admiral

Vice Admiral

Rear Admiral

The latter three divisions were in turn laballed Red White or Blue. Each Admiral would therefore fly the respective ensign and a Vice Admiral Red would always be senior to a Vice Admiral Blue, but inferior to an Admiral Red. - To confuse matters sometimes retired rear admirals were reused in certain roles and these would e known as Yellow admirals, but aYellow ensign was not flown.

Later in the nineteenth century there was confusion as to what flag was flown by certain classes of ships - The ensigns were then reallocated -

Everybody has the right to use the most senior flag the Red Ensign.

The Royal Navy was given the White Ensign as the most significant maritime force that serves the people.

Certain special other maritime forces were allowed to wear the Blue Ensign - usually with an emblem in the lower right quadrant. An undarned plain Blue Ensign is the perogative of the RN Reserve.

A Battle Ensign is an extra large sized flag, flown in battle to help distinquish friend from foe.

This site is dedicated to the preservation of
Royal Navy Songs

Having Problems in
finding your song.
Then please contact me

All enquiries & requests
Welcome

NAVIGATION

Living in Southwest
and
Would like a talk on
Naval Songs

Or see the
Contacts & Info Page

Barry E. Scott
16, Hendford
Yeovil, Somerset.
BA20 1TE
Tel: +44(0)1935 425603

Email: info@navysong.co.uk

HOME PAGE

Girls
What is a Sailor

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The aim of this site is to illustrate the songs, music, ditties and musical yarns that have actually been sung and used by the sailors of the Royal Navy in past centuries.

This project has originated, because these naval ditty songs along with the unique language associated with them, are in danger of being lost for ever. - I therefore challenge all ex RN sailors to contribute to this project and thereby save our heritage for future generations.

Although there are many songs on the web with a maritime theme, very few of them can truthfully be said to have ever been used by sailors of the Royal Navy.
- In the 'Andrew', we have our own traditions, which musically speaking, are structured upon certain types of song. Songs that are in popular use, either in our Sods Opera concerts and messdeck song sessions, or in our everyday life.

The Sods Opera or entertainment song, can feature the humorous, sentimental ballad, folk or story song, and the bawdy items so loved on a sports run.

The latter type tends to express the 'moment' of a situation or the mood of the singer, and often incorporate spoken one-liners or short dits.

Finally and closely related to the pevious group, there is a third type, which is often used in a work or play situation. Not as some might think to regulate the rate of work, but more to comment upon the situation. Such songs are used to comment on an oppo's misfortune, an anticipated run ashore, might be sung by a steamy, whilst locating pipe runs, the navigator to spot the headlands of bonny England, the leadsman to mark his effots with a heaving lead and the Gunner to time his salutes.
In such context we can think of the sailor setting of ashore, another doing his dhobying and a third singing an accompniment to the bugle call for 'flying stations' etc.

In order to illustrate these properly it is our general intention to provide information on the complete usage of any song or ditty, noting how and when it would generally be performed.

In order that this might be done with any authority, my own memories and observtions within the service are insufficient and I desperately need your assistance, to provide depth and colour to that information. So please enjoy a couple of hours, wandering around these pages. Yet on reflection as your mind inevitably travels back to those halcyon days - When you sat on the focsle in the evening watch with flying fish landing amongst the links of the anchor chain etc. Or remember, that sudden flash you get as the tropic sun sets in its majestic array of colour. Recall those glorious banyans spent on an idyllic afternon on deserted islands, then remember, please remember that we need to know the songs you sang.

On the other hand, Your memories may recall those prickly sweaty times, you crawled in the bilges, cursing the chef for putting sweetcorn on the menu, as you freed a blockage in the sludge tank.
What ever the situation, misfortunate or trials.we need to pass these songs and idyllic moments on to your grandchildren. Also don't forget those shoert one liners , that tumbled off the tonque during moments of stress; as we queued for our scran or as we accidentally threw the cutlery into the gash chute. Perhaps you recall those calls at the Crown & Anchor board or the Tombola session.

So Please as you recall those moments, send your fragments and odd verses and words into us here. Don't assume somebody else will know a more complete version. THEY DON'T

In every case the songs illustrated here on this site, have either been taken directly or auto biographically from the 'voice' of the Royal Navy sailor. Each one is compiled in time and situation of performance, so that we might attempt to date and catalogue there usage. So please! if you recall any song, dit. etc. being used, please email me with its details, hopefully telling me where and when you sang it.
Also most importantly if you recall any song being used in the execution of your duties. PLEase PLEAse PLEASE tell me about it - songs like 'She has a Face Like a Mess Deck Scrubber', (of which I only have fragments) or perhaps it was something very saucy, performed at the work face.

If anybody recalls -

Coaling Ship please tell me about it!

Did you like myself ever sing a Shanty for a special task!

Has anybody out there holystoned the quarterdeck.

Crossed The Line.

Sung Naughty Words at Church Parade or to a Marching Tune.

What songs were sung at a Banyan

Or on Tropic Evenings with Flying Fish coming over the bow.

Do you have a description of how - or a scan of a photo of when the Hornpipe was danced.

Uckers Shouts - See Games Section

Names we called the Scran - Tinkle Tinkle little Spoon,

Tombola Calls - Games Section

Please any input no matter how seemingly trivial is bound to be the missing piece of this jigsaw.

PS Does Anybody know the full text of the Gunners call "Fire One .etc. etc..."

I welcome contact wih all of you and would enjoy hearing your opinion on the site. Remember communication is a two way thing - I am also here to help you remember those lost lyrics - We do extra-ordinarly well at it.

Finally - Remember even well known songs existed in many different variations.
As some ships have their very own version of 'Uckers', so they also had their own songs and versions of songs.
So you old China fleet and Home Fleets hands. Please help with this information, which probably only now rests with you, and may well passover the bar without being recorded for future generations.

~~~

You can pass any information on to me here at this site to info@navysong.co.uk or see the CONTACTS page for more details -

Just to have the information on why a song was sung would be sufficient, but to have a few words or even a poor rendition of the tune would be the equivalent for me of once again, participating in an up-harbour night at sea after a long deployment.

Thanking you in anticipation, Yours Aye,

Barry E. Scott

Who Am I -
Barry E. Scott is both the Editor and Author of this site. He Served in the Royal Navy between 1964 and 1993, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer . During his time in the Andrew, he collected the Naval Ditty Songs that were being sung around him. Since 1980, he has been actively contacting other ex RN's for assistance in preserving the songs and ditties of the Navy for future generations and has amassed information on several hundred items from biographical sources.

What Happens to this Collection -
Please Follow the link - COLLECTION on the Navigation Bar

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