![]() ![]() Oolum-da: A ‘native’ phrase, intended in the song to infer apparent if Ma-ninga sabenza: Lots of, or too much, work Picaninny was a colloquial word for babies or toddlers at that time. Picaninny skoff : Too little food, or food only suitable for small children due to lack of meat. ![]() Ooshta: A rhythmic working cry, intended to encourage progress during manual work The Zulu words are an almost certainly justifiable complaint that there is too much work for too low wages and little food, and they are leaving. Laffan’s Plain, near Farnborough, was a popular field training area for the Aldershot Command and visiting units. ![]() ‘Windy’ refers to the latter being very talkative. Mr Stevens and “Windy” Notchy Knight were well known Corps characters on the staff of the School of Military Engineering (SME) at Chatham in the late 19th century. Make fast the dinghy, make fast the dinghy, You make fast, I make fast, make fast the dinghy, We’re working very hard down at Upnor Hard, Good Morning Mr Stevens and Windy Notchy Knight, The “CRE” referred to is the Corps of Royal Engineers. The words, partly in English and partly in a form of Zulu,Īre sung to the tune of the traditional South African song “Daer de die ding”. Its singing is usually associated with informal social occasions, but there are no particular traditions requiring it to be sung. The Corps Song, “Hurrah for the CRE”, which is sung heartily by Blythe Sappers at all their social events, originated among RE units during service in Southern Africa, and most probably achieved popularity during the Boer War of 1899-1902. ![]()
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