Pottery from yours only the FW 190 D-9 Pilot

[WildBoar44]

One of my favourite war poems.........

"Before Action"

By all the glories of the day

And the cool evening's benison

By that last sunset touch that lay

Upon the hills when day was done,

By beauty lavishly outpoured

And blessings carelessly received,

By all the days that I have lived

Make me a soldier, Lord.


By all of all man's hopes and fears

And all the wonders poets sing,

The laughter of unclouded years,

And every sad and lovely thing;

By the romantic ages stored

With high endeavour that was his,

By all his mad catastrophes

Make me a man, O Lord.


I, that on my familiar hill

Saw with uncomprehending eyes

A hundred of thy sunsets spill

Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,

Ere the sun swings his noonday sword

Must say good-bye to all of this; -

By all delights that I shall miss,

Help me to die, O Lord.




Lt William Noel Hodgson MC

W.N.Hodgson was the first son of Rt Rev Henry Hodgson 1st Bishop of Ipswich. Educated at Christ Church college Oxford, he was a brillant scholar and fine athlete. Known and admired as "Smiler" to his men, he wrote this poem shortly before going over the top on the 1st July 1916. He was killed along with many of his men within yards of the trench they stepped out of. Collected after the battle, Lt Hodgson and his men were buried in the shattered remains of the trench. They lay there to this day. The location today takes its name "Devonshire Cemetery after the 8th & 9th battalion of the Devonshire Regiment they belonged too.

The entrance is marked with a stone tablet marked :-

"The Devonshire's held this trench, The Devonshire's hold it still."




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