Has anyone ever heard the term ‘Overseas Kid’? I am reading one of those end-of-the-war fictions and the author says that Overseas Kid was a Nazi propaganda newspaper put out for the ‘benefit’ of Allied POW’s. The benefit they put it to was as toilet paper.
I did some googling on this but can’t come up with the term. Now I am thinking the author made up the term for the purposes of his novel.
I’ve had a long think about your post.
“Ausland Junge” may well have been real.
Along with several other similar publications.
The author you cite won’t have used the original name for the publication, and the German I’ve given above is close-enough to what it would have been called, though I freely admit I’m open to correction on the exact name, because there were severals tens of such items published, and in some cases the same publication might well change its’ name from week to week, for various reasons.
Regards, Uyraell.
I’ve already forgotten the author’s name, and it was a library book.
Although Goebbels hated swing music, I know he allowed a German swing orchestra to play somewhat modified American music to be beamed at the Allied troops. I’m sure they enjoyed the music and ignored the propaganda.
Pretty much correct. 
In similar vein, because the German radio stations were more powerful transmitters, the 8th Army guys in the western Desert (my uncle among them) tuned in to German radio nightly broadcasts the hear the music, and ignored the propaganda.
Years later, and one intriguing result was that many of the men of that generation who had served in the 8th Army could sing “Lili Marlene” in German, despite an other wise complete lack of familiarity with the language.
I saw proof of this at an international Vintage car Rally here in NZ, in March, 2000. Part of one evening’s entertainment was “the old songs”. Several people present, including myself, were able to sing “Lili Marlene” in German, and all present joined us in both German and English.
One small, but pleasing, example of music being a universal communicator.
Kind and Respectful Regards Gary D, Uyraell.
Years later, and one intriguing result was that many of the men of that generation who had served in the 8th Army could sing “Lili Marlene” in German, despite an other wise complete lack of familiarity with the language.
I saw proof of this at an international Vintage car Rally here in NZ, in March, 2000. Part of one evening’s entertainment was “the old songs”. Several people present, including myself, were able to sing “Lili Marlene” in German, and all present joined us in both German and English.
One small, but pleasing, example of music being a universal communicator.
Didn’t Vera Lynne (whose voice was nearly as recognizable as Churchill’s) sing Lili Marlene during the war, when Germans were singing it on the other side? I always connect that song with her and Marlene Dietrich. Of course, there’s no propaganda in the song–its theme is universal.
You forgot “Happy days are here again” Though to be honest I’m not certain it was written to celebrate the end of the Depression, or the end of WW 1, or 2. Good song for its day though.
The version I learnt was from a 50s TV show for kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O_DX4Bo05M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eX1t4A1xOc&feature=related
Court cases and suicides over the past decade or two related to other kids’ entertainers suggest that no more than one in four of the blokes in those videos were paedophiles.
Whereas I was rather keen on Princess Panda then and for some years later, where now I can see that I wasted my unrequited affections on that sharp faced, buck toothed, sloe-eyed, practically titless, uncoordinated hand-wrist-slapping, finger-squirrelling, young harridan.
Yes, she was pretty-much ordered to do a “British” recording of “Lili Marlene” in English, which recording then began to be broadcast to British forces soon afterwards.
There are differences apart from language between the German original and the British rendition, but over-all the British version is a reasonable transliteration, if not word-perfect.
The unusual aspect though, is that often, the British troops still preferred the German version, which I think has as much to do with the “smokey” voice of the German singer, as anything else, it being that Vera Lynne was generally popular regardless of what she sang. Marlene Deitrich is said to have twice recorded “Lili Marlene”, and allegedly one of those is on the “Apollo Verlag” label (nb: it may well be that the Dietrich recording has, over time, become confused with the Lala Anderson recording/version), reasonably rare to find that version these days, so afficionados inform me.
EDIT: It is of note (pardon the pun) that Command Authorities of British, Commonwealth, and US Forces were generally far less restrictive of what the troops in the field listened to, than were say the Germans or Russians. But this isn’t to say those same Command Authorities didn’t keep a very wary eye open on the topic at all times. They managed, over all, to be vigilant without seeming to be so in an obtrusive manner.
This information from my uncle, 2NZEF,2nd NZ Div., with the 8th Army in the Western Desert, Crete, and Italian campaigns.
Kind and Respectful Regards Gary D, Uyraell.
TG My friend, I have an eerie feeling “Happy days are here again” is associated with TinPan Alley, and Storeyville in Chicago, then became popularised again post-1930, after the moralist maniacs had had Storeyville closed down for about a decade. From vague memory reading about Storeyville, the song itself was from 1919, and finally recorded somewhere around 1920, 1922. It had been intended to celebrate the end of WW1 iIrc.
Kind and Respectful Regards TG my friend, Uyraell.
my very favorite songs to sing are from Marlene dietrich and Vera lynne- i just cant sing any of dietrichs song in german however: i sing mostly french, greek or english. The term overseasboys is most probably fabricated by the author for emphasis to his story.
Actually, I think “Happy Days Are Here Again” was adopted by Franklin Roosevelt as his campaign standard. I don’t think it had anything to do with celebrating the end of WW2, but had everything to do with putting a very positive spin on FDR’s efforts to counter the Great Depression.
I was adopted as a campaign song, yes. It was employed as you say. Yes.
As I understand the matter, however: the song had been written to celebrate the end of the First World War.
Kind and Respectful Regards Royal744, Uyraell.
Lili Marlene as heard over the radio during most of the war was recorded by Lale Andersen.
Wasn’t “Happy Days Are Here Again” Franklin Roosevelt’s theme song, played at his political rallies? Oops, asked and answered. Never mind.
REVISION: The song was written in 1929 and first appeared in a movie called “Chasing Rainbows” in 1930. It was played on a whim at the Democatic National Convention in 1932 at which FDR was nominated for President. It caught on and became his theme song and has been played at Democratic National Conventins ever since. Some people think it celebrates the end of Prohibition but that didn’t happen until after Roosevelt was elected in '32. Ironically, 1929 was the year of the great stock market crash that began the Great Depression.
I always associated “Happy Days Are Here Again” with Franklin Roosevelt’s political campaigns. I’m sure the song was written before he ran for president, but it became his theme song, much like “Thanks For the Memories” has become forever associated with Bob Hope. It was not the end of the Depession, however; it was in the depths of the Depression.