Venal Vera

Venal Vera

Original Text
Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant Major: The Songs and Ballads of World War II, ed. Martin Page (St. Alban's, Frogmore, Herts: Panther, 1975): 134-35. PR 1175 V4P3 1975 University of Victoria
To the tune of 'The Foggy, Foggy Dew'
1They call me Venal Vera, I'm a lovely from Gezira,
2The Führer pays me well for what I do.
3The order of the battle, I obtained from last night's rattle
4On the golf course with a Brigadier from 'Q'.
5I often have to tarry on the back seat of a gharry,
6It's part of my profession as a spy,
7While his mind's on copulation I'm exacting information
8From a senior GSO or GSI.
9When I yield to the caresses of the DDWS's
10I get from them the low-down on the works,
11And when sleeping in the raw with a major from G4
12I learn of Britain's bargain with the Turks.
13On the point of the emission, in the 23rd position,
14While I quavered with exotic ecstasy,
15I heard of the location of a very secret station
16From an over-sexed SO from OS3.
17So the Colonels and the Majors, and the whisky-soaked old stagers
18Enjoy themselves away from England's shore,
19Why bring victory nearer when the lovelies of Gezira
20Provide them with a lovely fucking war?

Notes

1] Gezira: Gezira is in Sudan, but the Gezira Golf Club in Cairo (a favoured stop for British soldiers in World War II) may be intended. Back to Line
5] gharry: box-like horse-drawn vehicle typical of the Near East. Back to Line
8] GSO: General Staff Officer. GSI: General Staff Intelligence. Back to Line
9] DDWS: Perhaps "Department of Drinking Water Supply" staff. Back to Line
16] SO: Senior Officer. OS3: perhaps "Operations Specialist 3". Back to Line
17] stagers: veterans. Back to Line
Publication Notes
Published anonymously, but attributed to Reynolds.
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2004