Our Site

 

Two Eileens, two Joans, two Dots and an Anne,

And then with Enid whose one thought was her man,

And Mary who did everything right,

And Phoebe and Flo and Lillian Kyte,

Form the best crew in balloons, don’t you see,

And for your information it’s Site 33.

 

Eileen Beadle is Sergeant, and a good one at that,

At her crew’s expense her hens are quite fat.

Enid Renger is Corporal, a binder we know,

And where you find Enid you’ll always find Joe.

 

Joan and Phoebe, alias Page and Kirk,

Come from Site 32 where they did all the work.

Anne Harrison, too, from that site did spring,

Who since she’s been here has sure had her fling.

 

Dot Hunt, what a gal, she’s jolly and gay,

But can ne’er find her dough when it comes time to pay,

She says she will alter when she sees Dink anon,

But at the pace she is spending, they’ll be broke before long.

 

Eileen Tucker from Smithfield, we must face the facts,

Is courting a man who sells “Ticky Snacks”,

When this lot is over and we’ve finished the Huns,

She’ll be there in the hut selling coffee and buns.

 

Flo Jones with a Welsh name, which may cause a frown,

Strangely enough comes from old Canning Town.

A place which we hear, Oh! So  much about,

And one day we intend to go there and find out.

 

Mary Kennedy is she who we said did things right,

Though perhaps we have not said as much as we might,

For a Kentish Maid Mary happens to be,

And Kent girls for craft are noted you see.

 

Lillian Kyte from Plumstead is next on the list,

And though she pretends that she’s never been kissed,

She’s courting a Sergeant and Sergeants don’t shirk,

And he’s in the REME where they get things to work.

 

Joan Cockett loves a sailor and sailor’s don’t care,

So when out “on pass” she had better beware,

And like all the crew very good she must be,

Remembering the WAAF’s motto “Not now, after tea”.

 

Last but not least on the list comes Dot Clinch,

Who tackles the job without ever a flinch,

Although truth to tell, and quite on the level,

She’s more scared of balloons than she is of the devil!

 

Well that is our crew, with a smile and a jest,

Though we’ve heard views quite different, we’re doing our best,

And if we should meet in the long years to come,

No doubt we’ll agree that we sure had some fun.

 

Captain B H Price

 

 

Remember

 

Remember the site in Eltham in 1944,

With guards, inflations and buzz bombs,

And heaven knows what more.

Remember the inspections and cooking

Dried eggs and spam for tea.

Remember those nights in the shelter there?

And do you remember me?

 

Captain B H Price

 

It would be fantastic if any of the names mentioned above are recognised by anyone today and more could be added to this archive. Does anyone know the identity of the poet Captain B. H. Price? Was he an army Captain or a Group-Captain or a Sea Captain??????

It would be nice to know his identity!!

 

Contact peter.garwood@bbrclub.org