大象传媒

These poems were typed and entered on to the site by a CSV volunteer with kind permission of Fred Hirst.

A Prayer for the desert soldier.

O
h! Desert soldier do not fear,
You鈥檙e for final posting, collect your gear.
With uniform pressed and boots that shine,
Hurry along there keep in line.
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌�
Soon you鈥檒l reach your destination,
With your new Commander of all creation.
Look to your front with head held high
As you join that regiment in the Sky.
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌�.
Goodbye dear soldier, goodbye dear friend.
Now you have reached your journey鈥檚 end.
Our thoughts of you we will fondly keep,
Whilst in your New Barracks you soundly sleep.

By Fred Hirst.
Editor: The Manchester Veteran.
City of Manchester 8th Army Veterans.

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Gordon 鈥� A True And Proud - Desert Rat.

Sedjenane.

The 2/5th Battalion of The Sherwood Foresters took part in this Battle

Night 鈥� and over the darkened plain,
The guns roll back from Sedjenane
Not in defeat, or dark despair
For their throats have chorused a battle air
All day to the skies o鈥檈r Sedjenane.

Back in the red Tunisian mud,
Red with the flow of our English blood
Men are lying, some dead, some dying,
They fell in the fight for Sedjenane.

We were there too in that mouth of Hell
鈥楴eath the whispering rush of the German shell
Or the rending crash where the mortars fell,
Fell on the road to Sedjenane.

We saw men come in twos and threes
With bleeding hands and bloody knees,
We saw men come from that place of death
With the Reaper鈥檚 song in their laboured breath.
They fought so well for Sedjenane.

So we left that town with its silent dead,
Came back with our guns from that place of dread.
The World media was told 鈥� and t鈥檞as truly said,
鈥淚t was bitter fighting at Sedjenane!鈥�

The author of this true poem is unknown but it has been taken from the book, 鈥楳emories of Sedjenane鈥� published by the 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters 1939/45 Association, compiled by the Association Secretary, Wally Binch.

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鈥淗ands Up, Tommy鈥�
By Fred Hirst.
鈥淭he fight will be tough,鈥� the Sergeant said,
鈥淐omrades will fall, much blood will be shed.鈥�
鈥淲e are ordered to relieve the brave Parachutists鈥�
So into the lines went the 5th Sherwood Foresters.

It was dark and eerie as we crept into the line.
We crawled through the bushes to avoid the moonshine.
But the moon soon revealed those Paras who fell
In yesterday鈥檚 battle, we were entering Hell!

Heavy guns heralded the Tunisian dawn,
And machineguns chattered, more comrades to mourn.
Our *section was posted way out at the front.
We were right in their path and would be bearing the brunt.

I was sent for food rations just a few yards away
When all of a sudden they were heading this way.
鈥楬ands Up, Tommy!鈥� I could hear over the din,
We were heavily outnumbered, our situation looked grim!

I suppose I am lucky, being one to remain
For six lads in my section will not fear again.
In a shell hole I tumbled all covered in mud.
Could I expect my 鈥榣uck鈥� to continue 鈥榮o good鈥�?鈥�

No orders had reached us when the Battalion withdrew.
I was now on my own 鈥� and my options were few.
I raised up my head for a quick look around,
鈥淗ANDS UP, TOMMY, to a prison camp you鈥檙e bound!鈥�

With three German Tommy-guns trained on my heart,
For the rest of the battle I would not now take part.
As a prisoner of war, past where my comrades still lay
I was taken at gunpoint on St. Patrick鈥檚 Day.
(The above took place on 17 March 1943 at Tamara in Tunisia)

*A Section is made up of 8 men.

My Regiment was the 5th Battalion, The Sherwood Forester, forming part of the 46th Infantry Division in the British 1st Army during the Tunisian Campaign, November 1942 to May 1943.

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I also wrote the following Prayer for the funeral of a Sherwood Forester who died a few years ago. It has since been used at other funerals and can be adapted by replacing 鈥楽herwood Forester鈥� with, for instance 鈥楧esert Soldier鈥�.

(Or Desert Soldier)
O
h! Sherwood Forester ^ do not fear,
You鈥檙e for final posting, collect your gear.
With uniform pressed and boots that shine,
Hurry along there, keep in line.鈥�

Soon you will reach your destination
To your new Commander of all creation.
Look to the front with your head held high
As you join that battalion in the sky.鈥�
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹��.
(Or Soldier)
鈥淕oodbye dear Forester,^ goodbye dear friend,
Now you have reached your journey鈥檚 end.
Our thoughts of you we fondly keep
While in your New Barracks - you soundly sleep.鈥�

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