RONNY AND ME (WORLD WAR ONE)
Ronny , and me joined the T A , togetherWe'd , joined the weekend army
We'd go away on summer camp
So much fun , We'd march and sing
Ronny 'ad good voice , of course we took the piss
But Ronny , just laughed with us , and sang all the more louder
Ronny , boomed out the songs we sang , Ronny's voice clearly heard for miles
'' Its A Long Way To Tipperary '' , just one belted out!
We sang , how we sang with out a care in the world
War were last thing on our minds , we never thought , we'd ever go off to war
Being ordered to fall out , then in to the nearest pub more like! , more to our likeing!
Then the war broke out , next wear marching through Folkstone
Boarded a ship , bound for France , and then on to Belgium and the war!
With rifles packs , had to find a space to sit , and reach in to army tunic
For fag , then hope a chum had a match , to light 'em!
Events develop so fast
Games of cards , Crown And Anchor , lads lost , most lost the money they had
Some who could write , if they had found room , some read penny dreadful novels
Lads look forward to '' the great adventure ''
Some kind of quiet ,
Me and Ronny , had books by Kipling , our mums had given us before we left
Later in the war , I found Kiplings , pages came in handy when I had no paper for the latrine! Yes me and Ronny , soon discovered Kipling had no idea of war was like. Me and Ronny soon were to find out about war!
That , was so , till his only son , John coped it , at Loos , then he changed his tune!
His son was just 18. the father Kipling , had pulled the strings to get his son in to the army , his son , was short sighted , his father , were that much shorter in sight
Me and Ronny , 'ad hardly been in the thick of it all that long , when our company , were shooting to kill , or be killed , When a strange cloud , now we know nofing of
gas , some lads were closer , began to choke , vomit , our officer , who'd study at school , callde out '' right boys '' ( he were younger than most of us! ) '' IT'S GAS '' , GET YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS OR RIP, YOUR TUNICS , NOW DAME YOU '' , '' AND PISS ON WHAT YOU HAVE HOLD THEM OVER YOUR NOSE AND MOUTHS NOW"!
We dad as we was order d! The officer sound as though he know what he meant!.
We , saw the hun , coming at us , we took aim , well we pointed our rifles towards then , our eyes , full of tears , 'cos of the gas , we fired , saw them fall in front of us , in bunches , in ones , two's , and threes. We beet them back , a close run thing
We knelt , down looking on , then we look around us , our lads , lads , did not kneel , no they lade down , some dead , some wounded , others , groaned
The sound they made , were different , from them being shot , a sound , I will not ever forget.
I looked around for me chum Ronny , I spotted him , he was one who was groaning, clinging to his throat. I rushed to 'im , '' You all right , Ronny , chum! , Stupid thing to say"! I called fore stretcher bearers , but they were all dead. The gas had dun fore them, poor bastards. So me and another lad , grabbed a stretcher , put old Ronny on it , and ran with it to the aid post. There we had to leave Ronny , as we had to get back. We dug in , made a shallow kind of trench , ready for the Hun to have another go at us.
Meanwhile , Ronny , had been taken back down the line to a hurriedly
built hospital. I lernt later , Ronny , had been sent home to Ramsgate , where he died. At least he died wif his mum , dad , sister. In a bed , sheets and blankets , died at home. Unlike many hear in France , who died so far from 'ome and family.
I was to see more times than I care to remember , what gas could and did to solders of both sides.
Chlorine , thats what did fore Ronny , well . that coursed , the lungs to fill , with liquid , the soldier drown , thats the short of it. 'Orible way to die!
Mustered Gas , liquid form , when that got on your skin , courst blisters , huge them , get some in your eyes , then blindness resulted.
The French were the first to use gas , tear gas , in August 1914.
The British , so folowde the French and Germans , none were better than others!
All to often , the gas was blown by a change in the wind , so may died , killed by there own!
At least Ronny , were out of the war , laid to rest in a grave back home.
Ken D Williams
The Dyslexic Wordsmith
Poetry by ken d williams
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Written on 2014-03-23 at 05:11
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