Anecdotes

Na Sam was rite chuff as he said with a smile
“I’ve bin posted out East, it’s worth a fair trial”.
So Sam packed up bags and kissed Ma goodbye
Said Pa, “he’ll be alrite, it’ll broaden his mind
“Look after thee self lad”, “ There,there don’t cry.
Good grub, nice sun, cheap fags and more wine,
Lovely bints and smart K.D.
Bye Gum--------------it’s a rite holiday”.
This pleased up our lad and he told all his pals,
‘Bout what Pa had told him ( ‘ bout fun and the gals ).’’
He pictured the sun, the Mosques and the sand
The nice clear blue MED., and Egypt’s fair land.
And he laughed and he joked and he done plenty boasting
Of how lucky he was over his posting.But----------how sad was our Sam was when he got out of van;

Pa hadn’t told him of -------------------ABU SULTAN.
He saw all the tents, he heard about grub;
He learnt about guards and this Airmen’s club;
Tormented by flies, how NAAFI was miffed.
“Eeh, nor wonder” he thought “ blokes got all drunk,
I’ll do the same and I’ll put in a grievance”,
But the S.W.O. gave him no perseverance.
“Eeh” said our Sam, “there summat up ‘ere”
“ I don’t mind a joke----------- but sod staying here.
For Sam as thou knows is a touchy wee lad
And wild with rage wrote home to his dad.
In reply Pa wrote back,” EE don’t be daft
It doesn’t do harm, doesn’t a little hard graft”.
And working with wogs, picked up bits of their tongue
Like “ Escot Aloof” and “ Shufty Barden”
He learned lots of other------- but we “Marlish” them.
And Sam plodded on, month in, month out.
(He lost all interest of life round about).

His hair grew rite grey and his brain ceased to function
He abandoned all hope of regaining his gumption,
And it never made sense when they said to him-------“ Sam
Pick up thy kit bag, there’s a good man
We’ve drained thee rite dry, we’ve had all the best
Of what was in thee (your sweat and the rest).
So Sam climbed on boat and laid on his bunk
( He didn’t care much if the bloody thing sunk )

“Cos he’d had his lot and his brain had been marred;
His body all ached and his bones were rite tired.
But after 8 days of sea-sick and spew
Sam got home to the folks that he knew,
Said Ma to our Sam, “EEH, thou looks well”.
“Not bad” said Sam, “after 2 years of hell”
So next time thou knows of a mate coming here
Just tell him of Sam---------with the rest of the gear.
But as Sam often said when he grew to be old
“ When I was a lad many tales have I told
Of how I grew daft ( like the rest of the clan )
Down in the dump called ABU SULTAN.

Written by Sam Marriott