# When the Tigers Broke Free

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 13, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452 "2019-06-13T00:50:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452/1 "2019-06-13T00:50:13Z")

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Is It Fusiliers C or Z?

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452/2 "2019-06-13T01:26:10Z")

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There is no doubt a lot of discussion about this on the net. Before committing myself to the rabbit hole, I will suggest that Roger Waters, being English, would not say “zee”, he would say “zed”.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452/3 "2019-06-13T01:33:44Z")

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The rabbit hole informs me that Eric Fletcher Waters, Roger’s father, died while in Z Company. Pronouncing Z the American way was presumably done for the rhyme.

> **[Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)](https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/britishinfantry/fusiliersericwaters.htm)**
>
> Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)

Edit: In that photo, Waters’ mother looks so much like Roger that I thought it was a young Roger until I remembered that his father died when he was just a baby.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452/4 "2019-06-13T01:47:34Z")

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> **[Diary details final hours of Pink Floyd star's soldier father in WW2](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2452473/Pink-Floyd-star-Roger-Waters-soldier-fathers-final-hours-WW2-revealed-dramatic-dispatches.html)**
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> Touching moment Pink Floyd star visits World War II cemetery in Italy to honour his soldier father who died in heroic final stand

This story includes a war diary that describes how Z Company (“Z coy”) were attacked and overrun. The text of the story states that the diary says Lt Waters was killed, however the diary clearly says “Walters.” Presumably a typo in the diary but it’s not clear how it’s been confirmed that the writer intended to write “Waters”.

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**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-tigers-broke-free/835452/5 "2019-06-13T16:23:15Z")

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Huh. I’ve been listening to that song for over 30 years and it never once occurred to me that it was Z and not C. Thanks for the info!