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Hello everyone
I'm new to this site so i hope i'm doing this right. How can i find out who wrote this poem
that my late father sent home to his parents when he served in the R.W.F and was posted to Madagascar, it was called The Fighting Twenty Ninth (don't know if i'm allowed to put the whole poem on so won't for now).My father signed the end of the poem MADAGASCAR 5th MAY 1942. 29th I.B. FRED
Many thanks
I bet it has another official title, you see this a lot with war poetry. As far as you know is it a poem or a battlesong? Can you post some text please and I'll try to locate it.
all the best
Sharon :smile:
Hi Sharon
I really don't know if its a poem or a battlesong but here it is
THE FIGHTING TWENTY NINTH
ON A CONVOY OF BRITISH TROOPSHIPS
WE SAILED ACROSS THE FOAM
TO INVADE OLD MADAGASCAR
7,000 MILES FROM HOME
WE INVADED MADAGASCAR TO OBTAIN A NAVEL BASE
AND IN BRITISH HISTORY THE 29th HAVE EARNED THEIR PLACE.
AT THE BREAK OF DAY ON THE FIFTH OF MAY
THE BRIGADE PREPARED TO LAND
AND AS THE BOATS WERE BEING LOWERED
THEY WAVED A FAREWELL HAND
WE LANDED ON THE BEACHES RED,WHITE AND BLUE ASWELL
THEY MARCHED A DISTANCE OF 18 MILES INTO A VICHY HELL
BEFORE THE BATTLE STARTED THE LADS WERE FULL OF CHEER
BUT E'ER THE BATTLE ENDED DEATH CAME VERY NEAR
THO THEY WERE SNIPED FROM EVERY FLANK
THEY BATTLED GRIMLY ON
WITH BRITISH DETERMINATION TO SEE THE JOB WELL DONE
THE JOB WAS DONE AND DONE DAMM WELL
BY EVERY MAN THAT WAS IN THE LINE
AND THE SILENT THANKS OF ALL FREE MEN
GO OUT TO THE TWO AND NINE.
THEY SHED THEIR BLOOD ON FORIEGN LAND
THAT ENGLAND MAY BE FREE
AND WHERE THEY LIE IS WHERE THEY FELL
IN THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY.
THEY FOUGHT THAT DAY ROUND COURIER BAY
AND GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT WE MAY STAY
WHY DO WE WEEP
WHY DO WE PRAY
ONLY FOR THE BOYS BENEATH THE CLAY
NOW THE BATTLEFIELD IS QUIET AGAIN
THAT THREE DAY HELL IS O'ER
THAT PLACE WE WANT TO SEE AGAIN
IS ENGLANDS SANDY SHORE.
NOW WERE LEAVING MADAGASCAR
BOUND FOR THE MOTHER LAND
BUT WE'LL NEVER FORGET OUR COMRADES
WHO LIE BENEATH THE SAND.
THE 29th HAVE DONE THEIR TASK
GOOD MEN HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES
BUT WE THAT ARE LEFT
SEND UP A PRAYER
FOR THEIR MOTHERS,SWEETHEARTS AND WIVES.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE MEN WROTE IT THEMSELVES OR WAS IT FROM A BOOK ect AS MY FATHER FOUGHT IN THE VERY SAME BATTLE. HOPE YOU HAVE MORE LUCK THAN ME AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PAT
Not making much headway with the text, it seems to be a derivative of many war/battle songs of the time.
During the years you require (40-45), the Fighting 29th (British 29th Infantry Brigade) were a formation of different infantry battalions
1st Bn, The Royal Scots Fusiliers
2nd Bn, The East Lancashire Regiment
2nd Bn, The Royal Welch Fusiliers
2nd Bn, The South Lancashire Regiment
But I'll bet you know that already :) I'm trying to find specific tunes peculiar to that period and the regiments involved and see if there are any recognised records of this verse.
Who is Fred, is he your Father?
All the best
Shar
Hi Sharon
Yes sorry Fred was my father.
ARMY NO 4192645
NAME- GREEN FREDERICK
CORPS-R.W.F. - DATE OF JOINING--8/2/1938 PLACE--ABERGAVENNY,WALES age 18yrs 1 month
My father trained at Hightown in Wrexham. He was posted to India on the 22/2/1939 until the 31/3/1939
1/4/1939 ---17/7/1940 INDIA
18/7/1940---7/5/1941 HOME
5/5/1941----20/3/1942 HOME
21/3/1942---6/11/1942 MADAGASCAR
7/11/1942---7/1/1943 AFRICA
8/1/1943----2/9/1944 INDIA
3/9/1944----23/5/1945 INDIA
24/5/1945---9/6/1946 HOME
Discharged on 9/6/1946 Permanently unfit for any form of military service.
As you can see my father was in Madagascar at the time the battle was fought so we were wondering if dad wrote it as he was fighting in it.
many thanks Pat
Interesting war service Pat,
Obviously 2nd Bn at the start. Any idea how he ended up in africa?
Also do you have a copy of Red Dragon. This book covers the regiment throughout WW2, and the 2nd Battalion's actions are listed in detail. Its available online(2nd hand/out of print) for about £45
Regards
Hello ap1
Service records are quite confusing to the layman, well they are to me,( lol.) They say my father joined on 8/2/1938 and was attested on the 9/2/38 -unit depot posted 6/8/38 in 1st unit. Then 22/2/39 he was posted to the second unit. Like i said it confusing but they did say he was a good cheerful fellow.Sober,hardworking and should be given the appointment of attending a vocational training course. I cannot make out signiture on bottom (due to age lol)
thanks PAT
Hey there Pat,
I'm afraid I ahven't been lucky yet. I showed the poem to an editor I know and she said she's almost definite it's self-written. Maybe by a group of people because the pattern and vocabulary flows differently in some sections. A pastiche of war poetry and experience I think she said.
So it looks as though he may indeed have penned it himself.
All the best
SHAR X
Hi Sharon
Well if dad and his pals did write it its even more special. Is there any way to find out who he served with at that time and where could i look?
many thanks pat
I'll leave that one to Al and Richard Ward. Good luck following it up Pat :)
Shar XX
Im still away at the moment, I'm sure some of our other members with access to Red Dragon can assist.
Hi Pat, The excellent book " The life and campaigns of General Hughie Stockwell" devotes a comlete chapter to the action in Madacascar. The book can be purchased from R.H.Q. for £25.
Regarding the below picture you posted in the gallery, the guy pictured called Leman, may actually be Lance Sgt W Lehmann of the 2nd Bn. He was awarded the BEM for gallantry against the Japanese, and was a member of D Company. His citation shows he was still a Cpl when awarded the BEM, The Lance Sgt was a temporary rank that he was fulfilling. His army number was 4196962. Which would mean he was on a similar intake to Fred.This detail is contained within Red Dragon. Its very possible that Fred served under Lehmanns command which makes the acccounts in Red Dragon even more compelling.
<img src="http://rwf-forum.co.uk/gallery/files/1/0/5/8/DADCPLLEMANANDFUSJONES.POONAINDIA1943.jpg" alt="GREEN F 4192645, CPL LEMAN AND FUS JONES.POONA INDIA 1943" />
Hi ap1Quote:
Originally Posted by ap1
I think my father might have been on r + r as i have a letter dated 13/3/43 from a Winifred G Stokes. The Dell, PO BOX 14,Hillary,Natal,South Africa which was sent to dads mother saying that Fred and his friend Bill Murray spent 7 days leave at her home in december.It seems that if the lads had any leave they went to stay with this lady at her home. She says the lads called The Dell their second home and Winifred their second mother.
regards Pat
Hi ap1
Thank you i will certainly purchase the book. Will start looking for it now.
pat
Looking at the top corner of this copy of the poem. It states that it was written by a Private Soldier of the 2nd East Lancs Regt. This copy was produced by Fus 80 Jones of A Company 2RWF in 1942, and it was supplied by forum member vcj123, whose father was Jones 80's Company commanderQuote:
Originally Posted by pat502
http://rwf-forum.co.uk/gallery/files...ghting29th.jpg