The "C" Force Brigade was a hard one to beat
They knew how to fight and they knew how to eat
With a natural love for Canadian meat
And a hearty abhorrence for Mutton
Vancouver to Hong Kong the voyage was stark
The ship "Awatea" with secrets so dark
Three species of beasts filled this Noah's Ark
They were Grenadiers, Rifles and Mutton
We scrambled aboard her poor innocent draft
None knew what provisions were stored in the craft
The Aussies had packed her forward and aft
The portholes were juttin' with Mutton
Many a tough sheep is asleep in the deep
That died of old age and storage is cheap
We eat it all day then weep in our sleep
The sheep that we counted was Mutton
A mutton chop for breakfast we managed to munch
They followed this up with boiled mutton for lunch
Stewed mutton for supper just strengthened our hunch
That our meals would be nuttin' but Mutton
Sheep boiled, roasted, stewed and fried
Our looks became sheepish, our patience was tried
Poor "C" Force was wilting cause Canadian pride
Just couldn't keep struttin' on Mutton
Rank, rotten and ripe was the redolent smell
As nauseous and gaseous as vapors from Hell
We pictured 5th columnists ringing a bell
Or pressing a button for mutton
A Grenadier swears that perhaps he was drunk
The odor of sheep was so strong in his bunk
He took out his clasp knife and cut off a chunk
And lay there just cuttin' up mutton
Oh bitter the ache for Canadian hams
We boarded like lions and landed like lambs
Australia knows where it can jam up the rams
Our cookhouse is shuttin' on mutton
It was thus our demoralization began
Complete in defeat with our war with Japan
We acted like sheep and some of us ran
And lost all our gutton on mutton
You may search through the ranks of "C" Force Brigade
For a lover of mutton and I'm not afraid
To bet all the wages I've ever been paid
That you won't find a glutton for Mutton
(Bowen Rd Hospital
POW Hong Kong)
