At The Field Hospital
By Field Card
2nd July 1916
Come closer, Bill, old comrade, I鈥檓 glad
to have
You here,
It does not seem so hard to die when one we
Love is near;
For as 鈥淜ids鈥 we played together 鈥 鈥淪hot
Marbles on the wall,鈥
And as youths in good old Brandywell we used
To kick the ball.
You鈥檒l tell them in the dear old town 鈥 old Derry
On the Foyle 鈥
That the boys who drilled with 鈥淲ooden Guns鈥
Were worthy of their soil.
But you鈥檒l hardly need to tell them, e鈥檈r now
The world has heard,
What with the hardy sons of Ulster for their King and
Country dared,
How when ordered from the trenches, by just
That one word 鈥淕o!鈥
With the war-cry 鈥淣o Surrender鈥 they quickly
Found the foe,
And onward dashed, from trench to trench, as
Streams the rushing tide.
The Fountain, Dark-lane, Rosemount, and the
Lads from Waterside
Went onward, ever onward, their progress
None could stay.
They weren鈥檛 out 鈥淕oose-stepping鈥 nor singing
鈥淒olly鈥檚 Brae.鈥
But to clear the earth of him we hate 鈥 Lor鈥 how
The Germans ran!
They hadn鈥檛 time to 鈥渨ait and see鈥 at 鈥淥magh鈥
or 鈥淪trabane.鈥
It maybe someone blundered, the fault might鈥檝e
Been our own,
But when we reached trench No.5 we found ourselves alone:
Alone and unsupported amidst a withering fire,
Yet we held our winnings gamely till the order
Came 鈥 Retire!
I cannot, nor will any man, the stories ever tell.
How caught in that triangle 鈥 it seemed the
Mouth of Hell 鈥
With comrades falling, falling, we formed as on parade;
鈥淵ou鈥檒l fight a rearguard action,鈥 was all
our leaders said.
And in that rearguard action, Bill, I got the Knockout blow;
And now I鈥檝e got to 鈥渢ravel鈥 the road that
all must go.
When lying faint from loss of blood I heard
A brother call,
鈥淲e cannot leave him here to die,
Where one goes, go we all.鈥
It was a chap from Monaghan, a loyal man and true;
He swung me 鈥榗ross his shoulders,
And said he鈥檇 see me through.
鈥淩ight, matey,鈥 then another said 鈥渨here one
Goes go we all,
I鈥檒l help you, brother Ulsterman 鈥 I鈥檓 County
Donegal.鈥
The Ulster鈥檚 fought the rearguard, with many a hearty
cheer
And the next thing I remember
Was being patched up here.
But I know the efforts useless; I feel I鈥檓 going fast.
I see the new day breaking, foe me 鈥榯will be the last;
I鈥檒l ne鈥檈r again sit on the Wall
Of an evening calm and cool
To watch the youngsters playing 鈥渢ig鈥 around
First Derry School.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
I thought of 鈥淒erry Walls Away鈥 when
Joining in the fight,
I said it was for Ulster, I wanted Right-Left-Right
You鈥檒l tell them in dear old town 鈥
Old Derry on the Foyle
That the men who guarded Ireland鈥檚 shore sleep
鈥榥eath a foreign soil;
And when the news of victory comes and the
Old Church joy bells ring.
They鈥檒l raise a stone for those who fell for
Country and their King.
听
