Poems for the PBY

The P-V Battle Cry

The P-V Battle Cry

I'm just another joker,
that's gotta fly a Yoker.

I'll never be a hero,
or shoot down any zeroes.

Ya' can't have any pride,
if ya' fly a PBY.

Now the ones y'oughta see,
always fly a hot P-V.

Their engines never (?) clamor,
ya' can't beat them for glamour.

They look at us and cry,
"Where's yer crummy PBY?"

But, let an engine pull a "smoker",
and they'll holler, "Send a Yoker",
everytime.

The Yokers have no zip.
But the P-V! It's a pip.

The boys that get the DFC,
always ride a new P-V.

But, before they'll get to wear it,
everytime, yes, I'll swear it.

They'll call for the joker
that has to push the Yoker.

'Cuz, when Tojo gets to shootin',
and the P-Vs get to scootin',

And one engine starts to split,
to the radio they'll flit,
Screamin', "Send a Yoker"

There ain't no use of lyin',
'cuz when it comes to flyin'

The Ventura has the stuff
and the P-Boat's just too rough.

But, when it comes to livin',
and we ain't just a-fibbin',

Everyone has got the yearnin',
to their base to be returnin'.

But, the flak has made some holes
and it's blowin' in the cold.

"Did that starboard engine miss?"
you can hear the pilot hiss.

All the faces then turn gray,
and in unison they'll say....

"SEND A YOKER!"

Written especially for Jim Moorehead by J.J. Lynch; alias, J. Oker (Dec., 1944 or Jan., 1945)(Flying the EMPIRE EXPRESS to Paramushiro) This poem was submitted by Charles "Fitz" Fitzpatrick (VPB-136). It reflects the friendly bantering and needling found between different types of aircraft crews. "Fitz" was a Navy pilot flying P-Vs with Jim Moorehead as his Patrol Plane Commander. Before flying with Moorehead, he and Jim Lynch flew PBYs until they were transferred to San Diego. There they were separated when Fitz went to FAW 4 (VPB-136, Whidby Island) and began flying P-Vs. Jim Lynch went to Headquarters Squadron on Attu, in the Aleutians, where he continued to fly PBYs. They were reunited in the Aleutians. Fitz said the following: "If my memory serves me correctly, Jim Moorehead always got in the last word. Thus to settle the matter, Jim Lynch wrote his poem dedicating it to Jim Moorehead."

(Editor's note: There has always been a friendly competition between the fighter and bomber crews and the PBY crews about which aircraft was the best. However, it has been made clear to me, by all combat aircraft crews, that when they were in the water, waiting for rescue, the only aircraft engines they wanted to was that of a PBY, and, the only aircraft they wanted to in the sky was a PBY. At that time, there was no question, in anyone's mind, as to what aircraft was the best and most important.)

ALJ