Crabfats

[Hugh Fiske]

Ok, I just spent 10 mins reading through this thread and *nobody* has asked
the question I wanted to hear.. as an ex-RAF type, why does the Navy insist
on calling us 'Crabs' or 'Crabfats'? I have heard a couple of different
explanations, neither of which was at all convincing. After all, I know
exactly why the Army were 'Pongos',
and the Navy (Officers anyway) were 'Rodneys'..

--

Hugh Fiske
http://www.fiske.dircon.co.uk

[Alec Powell]

In article <36c5e...@newsread3.dircon.co.uk>, Hugh Fiske
<fi...@dircon.co.uk> writes

>After all, I know
>exactly why the Army were 'Pongos',

Ahh but do you Hugh? I've never agreed with the *Where the army goes the
pong goes theory*, I like to think that originally it was a bit more
interesting than that. Some Aussies call us Englishmen Pongos as well as
it being a slang term for the more elite branch of the services.
A *Pongo* is another name for an orang-utan or any kind of monkey and I
subscribe to the theory that it's where it originated from. As for
crabfat how about RAF uniforms being the same colour as the ointment old
tars used to put on to deter *crab-lice*? (Although we always reckoned
it was because they all walked sideways and ate their young:-)
All interesting stuff,
Cheers,
Alec

--
Alec Powell Watlington Oxon. UK Museum of Berkshire Aviation
http://www.prole.demon.co.uk South Oxfordshire War Memorials
mailto:al...@prole.demon.co.uk The Red Kite
THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT (57th/77th Regiments of Foot)
http://www.prole.demon.co.uk/middlesex/middlesx.htm

[David Dixon]

One theory I heard while in the Navy (1974-1983) was that it was derived
from "crap hats", a reference to uniform headgear. But, that's just a
theory.

Regards from Los Angeles,

David Dixon.

Hugh Fiske wrote:
>
> Ok, I just spent 10 mins reading through this thread and *nobody* has asked
> the question I wanted to hear.. as an ex-RAF type, why does the Navy insist
> on calling us 'Crabs' or 'Crabfats'? I have heard a couple of different

> explanations, neither of which was at all convincing. After all, I know

> exactly why the Army were 'Pongos',

[Billyboy]

On Sat, 13 Feb 1999 20:59:36 -0000, "Hugh Fiske"
<fi...@dircon.co.uk> wrote:

> Ok, I just spent 10 mins reading through this thread and *nobody* has asked
> the question I wanted to hear.. as an ex-RAF type, why does the Navy insist
> on calling us 'Crabs' or 'Crabfats'?

The Army calls you crabs as well, 'cos you are crabs, or any way,
you act like them. Namely, because if there is a wind, when you
are flying, you do not head towards your destination, but you
have to head off. Hence you are moving sideways towards it -
like wot crabs do.

I don't know if this is a 'reason' or and 'explanation'.

Toodle pip!!

Bill

[ian hollis]

Hi guy's

As a former Pongo I've never heard the definitive story of where that
originated, but I have heard tell that *crabfat* comes fron the practice of
using crabfat as a substitute for Brylcreme, by some of the tighter members
of the junior service

Hope that helps

Ian H
Hugh Fiske wrote in message <36c5e...@newsread3.dircon.co.uk>...

>Ok, I just spent 10 mins reading through this thread and *nobody* has asked
>the question I wanted to hear.. as an ex-RAF type, why does the Navy insist

[Joe!]

Hello to one and all in this thread:

Hugh Fiske wrote :

Hugh Fiske <fi...@dircon.co.uk> wrote in article

<36c5e...@newsread3.dircon.co.uk>...
> Ok, I just spent 10 mins reading through this thread and *nobody* has
asked
> the question I wanted to hear.. as an ex-RAF type, why does the Navy
insist
> on calling us 'Crabs' or 'Crabfats'? I have heard a couple of different
> explanations, neither of which was at all convincing. After all, I know
> exactly why the Army were 'Pongos',
> and the Navy (Officers anyway) were 'Rodneys'..
>
> --

As far as I understand, the reason the fellows of The RAF are called crabs
is:

Way back when in 1918, when the RAF was being formed from the RFC and RNAS,
they didn't have a uniform for these nice chaps to wear to war. *BUT*,
luckily(?) the was a British uniform supplier (if that is the correct term)
that had just had an order for a few hundred thousand uniforms cancelled by
the Russians ! As they had just had a revolution (1917) and the Imperial
Russian Army did not exist anymore, let alone feel that it needed a nice
new uniform.

So the powers-to-be at the time decided that these nice new uniforms would
suit the RAF chaps (with a bit of tailoring etc) and that they would indeed
look very dapper in them. The colour of these uniforms was, you've guessed
it ..... official designated by the uniform supplier as CRAB-FAT BLUE !
Hence the term Crabs :-)

This story may sound far-fetched, but as far as I am aware is genuine - and
tho' I cannot give any definate origin to it, I do indeed remember reading
it somewhere.

Regards -- Joe McNocher
(Royal Engineers 1976-1990)

[Tex Bennett]

On 16 Feb 1999 16:05:07 GMT, "Joe!" <j.mcn...@misd.lon.ac.uk> wrote:

>As far as I understand, the reason the fellows of The RAF are called crabs
>is:

<snip sand bag story>

>This story may sound far-fetched, but as far as I am aware is genuine - and
>tho' I cannot give any definate origin to it, I do indeed remember reading
>it somewhere.

This is the story I heard too :)

Tex

ex Crab and proud of it!