The sampled prewar diaries call the Walrus the Steam Pigeon and associate the name with Far Eastern service from about 1937. Shagbat appears to have emerged in the Mediterranean Fleet around 1940 and spread more widely during the war. The chronology is tentative because it rests on only some surviving records. One plausible route is the training system: experienced Mediterranean aviators became squadron commanders and instructors who carried their vocabulary into new units. The nicknames provide a small example of naval-aviation language moving through operational and training networks.
Notable Point · 37:50-39:46
From Steam Pigeon to Shagbat
The changing Steam Pigeon and Shagbat nicknames trace how Fleet Air Arm language moved between the Far East, Mediterranean, and training system.