Daddy-Boy: Complete Poem and Scan of Book

"Daddy-Boy" - Poem on Flickr

These are the words and images of a poem which was very important to my Mum. It was the first one that she learnt by heart and my sister and aunt read it at her funeral. Context: my grandfather was serving in the Eighth Army - the Desert Rats - in North Africa during World War Two, driving what his brother Fred referred to as an 'animated sardine tin', an armoured car.

I have no idea of the provenance of the poem; the author and who published it, when and why are unknown. I can imagine that it was something that may have been provided to the families of soldiers serving in the war, but it may be something different. If you know more, please share!

Full text of the poem below the cut.

‘Daddy-Boy’

There was Mum and Dad and also me,

And I come up to Daddy’s knee.

But not so very long ago,

My Daddy went to fight the foe.

He said “Good-bye” to Mum and me,

Now Daddy-Boy’s across the sea.


But when I go to sleep at night

I shut my eyes so very tight,

And lie curled up, and warm, and still,

And wait, and wait and wait until

A fairy tiptoes to my bed,

And waves her wand above my head.


From underneath her gown she brings

A lovely pair of silver wings,

And whispering some fairy charms

She fastens them behind my arms,

The hand-in-hand away we fly

Out of the room up to the sky.


The man in the moon he doffs his hat,

He is really as polite as that,

And shooting starts as white as snow

Dip to show us where to go,

While all the Heavens seem to say

Guide her, Lord, upon her way.


We pass above enormous ships

That look like teeny paper strips,

And now and then we swoop down low

The way the stars tell us to go,

Down valleys green and over hills

And pretty, painted water mills.


At first it’s warm and then it’s hot,

We know we’ve travelled quite a lot,

In fact, we’re nearly there, at least

We’ve passed the West and reached the East.

My heart begins to sing with joy,

‘Cause soon I’ll see my Daddy-Boy.


We see some leopards and a lynx,

And over Egypt pass the Sphinx,

While clouds of dust rise in the sand

Behind some wandering Arab band,

And from some mosque there sounds an air

That calls the Moslem folk to prayer.


And suddenly, as up we soar,

We hear a most tremendous roar

As if above the seven seas

There flew at least a million bees,

And just beside us there shoots past

Some of our own Spitfires at last.


And all the pilots wave and shout

As if they know that I’m about,

And I shout back and try to say

Tell Daddy-Boy I’m on my way,

But before the words come from my mouth

They’re out of site and flying South.


But then my fairy disappears.

But still there is no cause for fears.

For beside a dried-up river bank,

There sits my Dad close to his tank.

Just a tiny speck - but I do declare

I’d know my Daddy-Boy anywhere.


I give my wings a long, last beat

And land, ever so gently, at his feet,

And before he can even say a word

I peck him like a dainty bird.

But he’s not so surprised as he ought to be

‘Cause it seems like he was expecting me.


“How’s Mum? Is she keeping well?”

That’s the first thing I must tell,

Then Dad gives me a great big hug,

That makes me feel so good and nug,

And says, my goodness! how you’ve grown!

I’d never recognised you alone!


And how’s the Smiths? and how’s the Jones?

And how’s our terrier, Uncle Bones?

And are you still so fond of school

Or do you play the little fool

When you should be doing your level best

To help us finish off that Hitler pest.


And then I climb inside his tank,

Because he says he wants to swank,

He wants to show me with a noise

To all the other Daddy-Boys,

And even a real live General, too,

Smiles at me and says “How do?”


Well, everything comes to an end,

And back comes my dear fairy friend,

And blowing kisses everywhere,

We float above then in the air,

For one night, that’s enough to roam,

So off we fly straight back to home.


So when my Mum is feeling bad,

I know the way to make her glad,

Her lovely face lights up with joy

When I talk about my Daddy-Boy.

I tell her truly, honour bright,

I went to Daddy-Boy last night.