The Little Boys that Churchill has Forgot

(1) T’was X Day in 41, H.K. had just jaged in
We’d fought a losing battle and we knew we couldn’t win
The odds were all against us, on land the sea and air
And in this festive season, all the lads were in despair

We'd fought for eighteen weary days, with little food and rest
And although the lads were beaten, every one had done his best
They marched in from their outposts, a tired unhappy throng
And from this band of heroes, you could hear this plaintive song

(2) We're the little boys that Churchill has forgot
And goodness knows we didn't ask a lot

We sent a note to Winnie, for some guns and planes and ships
But he said we wouldn't need them, but he didn't know the Nips
Instead of sending first class Infantry
But sent some half trained backwood lads you see
And although these lads were plucky, they weren't so very lucky

They were with the boys that Churchill had forgot

We tried to hold the mainland from the start
But it would break a poor old soldier's heart
Before this war began (3) the R.E.'s had their fling
And so these walls of concrete wouldn't stop a blinking thing
They sent lots and lots of phoney news
They sent us hand grenades without a fuse
And it was General Maltby's order
Chiang Kai-Shek is on the border

To help the little boys that Churchill had forgot

The hotel bars were doing lots of trade
The officers were there upon parade
They were planning out the movement of the great big campaign
And the only shots they ever felt, were whisky and Champagne
They said we'd have one more and then attack
(4) But saw the planes and then double back
And the only time they led us was when anybody fed us

We're the little boys that Churchill had forgot

We paid the price as losers, at a camp in Shamshipo
But they found they couldn't feed us
So they said you'd have to go
They put us on a hell ship, that was bound for Nippon shores
But Uncle Sam thought different, now that ship's a ship no more
They hit us with a tinfish and as we began to sink
The boys on deck all shouted, (5) as they jumped into the drink

We're the little boys that Roosevelt forgot
And stop and look and see what we have got

There's miles and miles of ocean and very little land
Great big pointed jagged rocks and not a bit of sand
And as the boys swam bravely for the shore
Those left behind began to sing and roar
If you get back to Blighty, tell England's high and mighty

We're the little boys that Churchill has forgot

(6) The months have past and we have settled down
And now we have a place called Kobe town
There's lots and lots of work and very little pay
We know taxsan shingoto and hardly any time for plays
The food we get is not so very good
It's mostly rice and stones and bits of wood
And when we get some spam, well it comes from Uncle Sam

We're the little boys that Uncle Sam forgot

(7) The day will come along when this is through
And all the dreams you dreamed of will come true
They'll put us on a big ship with lots of food and beer
And send us home to England for the crowds to clap and cheer
And when we pull in along the quay, the band will play a tune of victory
And even George from his home, will shout out welcome home

To the little boys that Churchill did forgot

Reproduced with permission of June Rosina Baine (nee Morris). Images and text © June Rosina Baine.