Tilley Uggy

[jonjo]

Back home with an unseasonable bout of flu like symptoms I turned to my collection of WWII DVD films. In my fuzzy brained state I decided that Battle Of The River Plate required a suitably low cerebral involvement by the viewer.

There is one phrase that puzzles me every time I view this film. At dawn shortly before the Graf Spee appears two ratings are heard to say "here comes the old tilley uggy". This could either be a reference to the raising sun or the spotter plane.

Does any RN/merchant navy type know the answer?

 

[MASH]

Fuzzy soundtrack too, I reckon!

Tiddy Oggie = Cornish Pastie

Therefore, with impeccable lower-deck logic; HMS Exeter.
She was known by this nickname throughout the Service.

 

[jonjo]

The internet is a wonderful thing, I replayed that section of the film a few times and it now sounds like Tiddy Uggy. I reckon you must be right and the director does cut to one RN ship in profile.

Another observation, I think I know what inspired the Laurent Giles bow knuckle on the early Westerlys, two of the RN ships have the same.

 

[Guest]

I constructed a working scale model of a County Class Destroyer ... that had a knuckle in the bow plating ........ >

Excuse the Cuban Heels and Flares .... it was taken quite a few years ago ....
Location is Canoe Lake - Southsea.