Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Club

The Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Officers Club

Dos and Don'ts for BD - click on image

If you don't need to stand up...

RE BD Group Orbat - click on image

A Bomb Disposal Sapper's Lament

We are the R.E. Bomb Disposers,

Enlisted for the war

And for many months we lay about

‘til life becomes a bore.

Then Jerry came along

To break our sweet repose

We now go round from place to place

His dud ones to dispose.

Some people think they’re filled with sand

And are dropped about for fun

But there’s nothing ruddy funny

About any Nazi Hun.

We have to wake up early

To thwart Adolf’s little tricks,

To find out which are acid ones

From those whose clockwork ticks.

There is one job we are proud of,

Amongst our many calls

When Davies and his merry men

Saved Britain’s great St. Pauls.

We don’t kid ourselves we’re heroes

‘cos we sometimes get the blues,

especially when we get a bomb

that’s got an awkward fuze.

And if we get it out alright,

We do a little grin

But if we don’t - that’s just too bad

And they inform our next of kin.

Written by a Sapper of No 9 Bomb Disposal Company, RE (Birmingham/Coventry) WW2 circa 1940/41, whose name is thought to be Walter Cornish.