Remembrance Day
On 11 November 2017 Andrew Page wrote the following poem for Remembrance Day.
When that letter arrived calling you to the war,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you left your wife weeping for you at the door.
Were you glad? Were you glad?
And throughout basic training and armed combat drill
Did you do everything you were told with a will?
Did you relish the prospect that you were to kill?
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When at last you were ready to go overseas,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
With the thought of the mud and the gas and disease,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When your last minute home leave had come to an end
With your last will and testament all neatly penned,
When your little girl asked you what flowers to send
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When the news came that you were to move to the front
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you knew that of shelling your line took the brunt
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When moving up you passed those you were relieving
Who stared at you, greenhorns, with eyes disbelieving
From faces all strained from the hell they were leaving
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When your part of the line did come under attack,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
With the gunfire so fierce that you couldn’t shoot back,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
Did you think of ‘Old England with folk now a-bed’
When the bullets were whistling over your head
And you found that the soldier beside you was dead
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When the order came through to go over the top,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you knew that once started you didn’t dare stop
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When that shell burst that took off your leg at the thigh
And your friends didn’t help; they were dead that was why
And you suddenly realised that you were to die
Were you glad? Were you glad?
As you lay there your life slowly ebbing away,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
As you thought of your wife and your child far away,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
Were you glad be dying out there in Verdun?
Did you feel that in dying your battles were won?
Were you glad that for England your duty you’d done?
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When that letter arrived calling you to the war,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you left your wife weeping for you at the door.
Were you glad? Were you glad?
And throughout basic training and armed combat drill
Did you do everything you were told with a will?
Did you relish the prospect that you were to kill?
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When at last you were ready to go overseas,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
With the thought of the mud and the gas and disease,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When your last minute home leave had come to an end
With your last will and testament all neatly penned,
When your little girl asked you what flowers to send
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When the news came that you were to move to the front
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you knew that of shelling your line took the brunt
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When moving up you passed those you were relieving
Who stared at you, greenhorns, with eyes disbelieving
From faces all strained from the hell they were leaving
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When your part of the line did come under attack,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
With the gunfire so fierce that you couldn’t shoot back,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
Did you think of ‘Old England with folk now a-bed’
When the bullets were whistling over your head
And you found that the soldier beside you was dead
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When the order came through to go over the top,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When you knew that once started you didn’t dare stop
Were you glad? Were you glad?
When that shell burst that took off your leg at the thigh
And your friends didn’t help; they were dead that was why
And you suddenly realised that you were to die
Were you glad? Were you glad?
As you lay there your life slowly ebbing away,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
As you thought of your wife and your child far away,
Were you glad? Were you glad?
Were you glad be dying out there in Verdun?
Did you feel that in dying your battles were won?
Were you glad that for England your duty you’d done?
Were you glad? Were you glad?
The poem generated a huge number of responses, both for and against, expressing different points of view, but all in a very civilised manner as is usually the case within our forum. I felt I wanted to preserve both the poem and all the responses.
Click on the button below to get the document.
Click on the button below to get the document.