COMBINEDOPS Poetry

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- D DAY POEMS -

by

Tony Chapman, archivist/historian for the LST and Landing Craft Association (Royal Navy).

~ Keep Moving ~

Keep moving lads ... keep moving

Don't huddle on this beach

Don't make yourselves a target

For those guns up there to reach

Keep moving lads ... keep moving

There's the seawall ... over there

Keep moving lads ... keep moving

Don't falter ... or despair

Don't look ... at comrades falling

Around you ... everywhere

Keep moving lads ... keep moving

We can take this ... on the chin

Keep moving ... and keep praying

Before those guns ... they zero in.

- A Quiet Place -

It's quiet here ... so quiet

Standing on this hill

But if I stand here too much longer

My eyes with tears will fill

Looking down ... I'm there again

On that beach ... just down below

Far different ... to that morning

That I remember so

That beach ... it was a hell on earth

Where no man ... should ever go

I remember

I was down there

I should know

Don't cry now ... dear old soldier

That was many years ago

~ The Coxswain ~

There are forty of us waiting

In this little LCA

We sailors ... and these soldiers

We're taking in today

They came aboard our mother ship

Now several days ago

They're growing very pale

As the strain begins to show

They're only boys ... the most of them

Eighteen to twenty three

For some of them ... tomorrow

Is a day ... they'll never see

I can't promise we'll all make it lads

But I'll do my best ... you'll see

I'll remember you ... you young soldiers

This day ... in Normandy

God bless you lads ... and keep you safe

We'll meet again ... one day

This is it then lads ... keep your heads down

AWAY ALL BOATS ... AWAY.

- Any moment now -

The noise ... it will begin

As bombarding ships and rocket ships

Send their salvos whistling in

Any moment now

These landing craft will move

Making for the beaches

Defenders ... to remove

Any moment now

There will be many a silent prayer

As these craft attain the beaches

So close now ... see them there

Any moment now

Men and craft ... they will be hit

It is then ... we'll be required

To show we have true grit

Any moment now

I will be watching comrades fall

Be ready Lord ... above the noise

Listen ... for my call

I do not know if I will cope

Please ... stand by me ... show me how

I'm going to need you ... more than ever

Any moment now.

- I stand here now -

I stand here now

Amongst ... brave men

With whom ... I've stood before

The last time ... when we landed

On June 6th of '44

Back then ... we were all young men

Eighteen or little more

Their lives ... cut short ... that morning

On this distant ... windswept shore

I stand here now ... and wonder

What would they ... have become

Had they survived ... that morning

Their lives ... allowed full run

One thing ... I know ... for certain

Of which ... there is ... no doubt

These brave young men

My pals ... from then

Would be ... old

White haired ... with wrinkled brow

Just like me ...

As I stand here ... now.

Tony Chapman will be happy to provide information or advice on landing craft used off Normandy in June of 1944. Write to a.chapman93@ntlworld.com

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Subject	Link
Latest Design of the Combined Operations Memorial including photos of the proposed site in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.	Combined Ops Memorial
*Steven Pressfield's new book Killing Rommel.* Donate £7.00 to the Combined Operations Memorial Fund and receive a copy of Killing Rommel worth over £12.00. Click here for information about the book (pdf file). There's a limited supply so first come first served. Please e-mail to establish availability before you donate.	e-mail
HELP FOR HEROES. Airborne & Commando Engineer's 1656 k (1035 miles) cycle through France in aid of 'Help for Heroes' - a charity/appeal that helps servicemen injured during current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The journey was completed in just 8 days. Click on the link to read about the trip... and there's still time to show your appreciation of our courageous servicemen and women.	Help for Heroes
Commando Country, by Stuart Allan, Senior Curator of Military History at the National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle; a newly published book on Scotland's role in the training of Commandos and Special Operations personnel in WW2.	National Museums Scotland's Bookshop
HDML 1387 - the restoration of one of the few remaining WW2 harbour defence motor launches.	Medusa
Commando Veterans' Association - for those who wore the green beret for any time from 1940 to the present day. Associate membership also available.	CVA