No luck yet

Posted by ESC on April 28, 2002

In Reply to: Searching for the origin of a poem posted by James Briggs on April 27, 2002

:
: This is a poem I read when I was a boy, in about 1944. It was one of the chapter introductions in a boys' book about the First World War. My memory is that there was no author named. A 'Google' search comes up with nothing. Does anyone have an idea as to the author? Thanks

: Got over Cambrai and cocked my gun.
: An Archie said "woof", and I started to run.
: I crossed the lines at half past two,
: And the Fokkers turned back as they usually do.

: Travelled north again with my heart in my mouth.
: Met the same old Fokkers and couldn't get south.
: I took one look and my spirit broke;
: Here come a lot of bullets all a'trailing blue smoke.

: I looked at the ground and I caught my breath,
: I was right over Thiacourt, City of Death.
: But I kept on a'coming as hard as I could fly,
: A'peeling my eyes for a cloud in the sky.

: Dun sur Meuse loomed up on the way,
: And I thought, " by golly I' m done for today ".
: But I reached my field and I side-slipped in,
: And the boys all laughed and said, "where you bin?"

I'm looking. But no luck yet.