大象传媒

This poem was submitted to the People's War site by Jock Watt. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Soldiers Don't Cry.

The enemy pushed towards Dunkirk, we were ordered to Calais to stand fast,
But when Tanks all gone, we were no help there, so got out amongst the last,
Shelled through streets to the harbour, full of vehicles and sunken ships,
At the breakwater a lone ship beckoned, come quick for the last of our trips,
I reached the deck as she pulled away with a single hold packed with men,
Shrapnel filled the air, I was stiff with fear, tensed waiting for where and when,
But in that hell hole below was frustration and fear, not a fighting way to die,
Men cursed their luck, caught in a trap, "But I never heard a Soldier cry."

Dumped near the mountains in the north of Greece with 52 worn out Tanks,
Just a few of the 60,000, sent to help stop Adolf Hitler's pranks,
But from Yugoslavia he came with a mighty Army and hit us hard on the plain,
We fought for every yard of ground but he drove us south with disdain,
Struggled through the mountains with no place to hide, bombs and bullets ever near,
With nothing to hit back men clawed the ground and cursed with frustration and fear,
They collected the bodies and limbs from the trees and buried them with honour,
No voice told of the sickness felt but grim faces portrayed the horror,
At the end of this land 10,000 were trapped, many asking the question why,?
But in all that hell which men went through, "I never saw a Soldier cry.

Battled for weeks to relieve Tobruk; at Sidi Rezeigh whole Regiments wiped out,
On to Bengazi, both sides took their toll and victory was always in doubt,
Outgunned by the enemy we paid a high price, burned out vehicles marked our path,
We used them again, pulling back in retreat, when Rommel vented his wrath,
Lost Tobruk, our pride, and land to Alamein; where we stopped to defend our line,
Here, at the gates of Cairo, defeated by the enemy, of that we could not lie,
Fear was high, moral was low, "But I never saw a Soldier cry".

The barrage at Alamein was horrific, it brought excitement and feelings of new hope,
Trembling with the ground, metal screamed overhead, I wondered, would we cope,
Through the minefield we passed, the sky glowed red, the patterns of tracer amazed,
But at the break of dawn we were trapped in a hollow, the enemy had not been erased,
Through shellfire and bullets the Infantry pushed on, men falling all around,
But they never stopped, to question the dead, till they captured that vital high ground,
The sacrifice was great, tanks burned all around, I felt guilty at still being free,
Blood poured down my shirt from a shrapnel blast, but had the others all died for me,
It was often said Soldiers died for each other, the question was always why,
Bodies lay around like bloodied rags, "But I never saw a Soldier cry".

On the plains of Tel El Aqqaqir came the final blow and we put the enemy to flight,
The plan to destroy his Armour had failed as they slipped away in the night,
He stood and fought back as defences allowed over 2,000 miles of land,
It took six months of strife in this God forsaken place to finally smash his last stand,
The cost had been tremendous; took almost three of our tanks to his sacrifice of one,
Three Regiments we had lost, 1,500 men, from Calais until this deed was done,
In silence with time to think, we grieved for friends we lost; why did they have to die,
There was no turning back, life moved on, "And I never saw a Soldier cry"

Many years have passed but the memory lives on and bravery of their deeds still sung,
Now I stand among the graves and cry and cry for those comrades who died so young.

Jock Watt 3rd R.T.R

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