Pearl Harbour

Disaster struck at the end of 1941.
The war got worse than when the year begun.
The Japanese, those craft little Nips,
Struck Pearl Harbour, sunk Yanks ships.

Now the Yanks could stop selling us stuff,
Get on our side, where the going's rough.
The very next day, Nips land in Malaya too.
What the hell were the allies to do?

But all this way too far off for a kid like me;
Nothing mattered as long as I got my tea.
On bikes down Malaysian peninsula, the Japs did pour;
Next thing we were told they'd captured Singapore.

Hearing news, mum's face further pales.
Repulse sunk and the Prince of Wales.
How could we stop this streaming yellow hoard?
The whole Far East they have under the samurai sword.

But America was a big industrial giant;
The 'samurai swords' were rattled defiant.
The writing for them was on the wall,
Fate destined they were bound to fall.

Until the giant was fully awake,
The Japs invaded all they could take.
They took Malaya, Singapore, Java and the Philippines;
We saw some pictures on our cinemas screens.

Yanks, we had their airmen here in East Anglia.
Most never knew there was a place this far.
I remember seeing my very first coloured man.
Running home, told my mum, "Don't worry, he's American".

Soon there seemed more of them than there were of us!
They tried to mingle with little or no fuss.
Some funny remarks were began, I fear.
Yanks over-sexed, overpaid and over here!

Another saying said by our much older men,
Not many of our finest were around just then.
The old men, veterans of the First World War,
"You're late again, what were you waiting for?"

Us kids soon learnt to be on 'the bum'!
Always asked them "Got any gum chum?"
They would enquire, "Did I have an older sister?"
Innocent me asked "Why do you want to know mister?"

Most did well like it whilst over here;
Loved the country but hated our warm beer!