Posted by Owen Roberts on September 12, 2011 at 18:39:12 user OwenRoberts.
In Reply to: Re: Swallows and Shanties posted by Alan Hakim on September 12, 2011 at 14:40:36:
Not sure about the lack of shanties in the Royal Navy. Although they were banned when the crew was working on watch, they could and would still be sung off watch.
The Royal Navy has always many Merchant Navy crew, from the time of the press gangs, to unsuspecting volunteers later. Certainly in WW1, Commander Walker would have mixed with many people in the reserve which comprised professional Merchant Navy Officers and Seamen. He would have ample chance to learn shanties.
Whist it is correct that shanties were not sung in school until comparatively recently, they were sung in the playground of any school in a merchant port, such as Liverpool and Southampton.