Post by KG on May 24, 2018 12:01:49 GMT
SEPTEMBER THE THIRD
Merchant Navy Day.
Our Country celebrates centenaries and the cenotaph’s just cause,
We remember Airmen, and Soldiers from the wars,
The Navy and Civilians and Miners from the pit,
Royalty and Land Girls - all those that did their bit.
Now the Merchant Navy, has its special say,
Flying its Red Ensign on the Third September day,
From our public buildings in Britain and abroad,
So the population may look up and applaud.
Reminding everybody of the sacrifice they made,
Shipping vital cargoes in a mortal wartime trade,
Mostly sailing unarmed or with very poor defence,
Causalities and losses were appalling and immense.
Round the world they voyaged `cross oceans near and far,
Magnetic mines abundant on both sides of the bar,
Torpedoes launched from U boats, bombs aimed from the sky,
Salvoes fired from raiders, intent that ships would die.
Often in awful conditions, at work in numbing cold,
Through voracious seas of the Arctic with explosives in the hold,
Or the white heat of the tropics, steaming into hell,
Living on tons of petrol dreading the enemy’s shell.
Our lads ran the gauntlet braving marauder’s might,
Showing a stubborn Red Duster every day of the fight.
If they survived - they returned, not once but again and again,
Hence lifeblood brought to nations by indefatigable men.
On all the seas and rivers where British seamen go,
From the tropics to the edges, of where the icebergs grow,
You will see the ruddy bunting of bright or smoky red,
It’s our Merchant Navy Ensign flying overhead.
Joe Earl
Merchant Navy Day.
Our Country celebrates centenaries and the cenotaph’s just cause,
We remember Airmen, and Soldiers from the wars,
The Navy and Civilians and Miners from the pit,
Royalty and Land Girls - all those that did their bit.
Now the Merchant Navy, has its special say,
Flying its Red Ensign on the Third September day,
From our public buildings in Britain and abroad,
So the population may look up and applaud.
Reminding everybody of the sacrifice they made,
Shipping vital cargoes in a mortal wartime trade,
Mostly sailing unarmed or with very poor defence,
Causalities and losses were appalling and immense.
Round the world they voyaged `cross oceans near and far,
Magnetic mines abundant on both sides of the bar,
Torpedoes launched from U boats, bombs aimed from the sky,
Salvoes fired from raiders, intent that ships would die.
Often in awful conditions, at work in numbing cold,
Through voracious seas of the Arctic with explosives in the hold,
Or the white heat of the tropics, steaming into hell,
Living on tons of petrol dreading the enemy’s shell.
Our lads ran the gauntlet braving marauder’s might,
Showing a stubborn Red Duster every day of the fight.
If they survived - they returned, not once but again and again,
Hence lifeblood brought to nations by indefatigable men.
On all the seas and rivers where British seamen go,
From the tropics to the edges, of where the icebergs grow,
You will see the ruddy bunting of bright or smoky red,
It’s our Merchant Navy Ensign flying overhead.
Joe Earl