Old Annie

DESCRIPTION: "My Anson's flown over the ocean, My Anson's lost over the Sea, My Anson lies under the Ocean, Don't bring back my Anson to me. DON'T bring back, don't bring back, don't bring back my Anson to me, to me...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1967 (Ward-Jackson/Lucas-AirmansSongBook)
KEYWORDS: technology derivative crash
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Ward-Jackson/Lucas-AirmansSongBook, pp. 138-139, "Old Annie" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" (tune) and references there
NOTES [160 words]: According to Kenneth Munson, Aircraft of World War II, second edition, Doubleday, 1972, p. 29, the Avro Anson was known as "Faithful Annie," which explains the title "Old Annie" for this song, even though the name isn't used in the texts.
The name was given because the plane continued in production for some twenty years, beginning in 1936. It was developed from a civilian six-seat plane. It must have been easy to handle, since it spent most of its time in service as a trainer.
But of the high brass liked it, it's understandable why military pilots wouldn't. It was slow (top speed 188 miles per hour, according to Munson) and it was minimally armed (two machine guns). It could carry bombs, but only 360 pounds' worth. So it was highly vulnerable and couldn't do much to defend itself. Small wonder the crews would want to be rid of it -- and why it was quickly removed from its reconnaissance role when the Lockheed Hudson became available in 1939. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: WJL138

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