|
The following poem was written by Lancastria survivor Ernest Archibald whilst recovering from injuries sustained during the sinking of the Lancastria. The poem was passed to the Lancastria Association of Scotland by Mr Archibald’s son who now lives in Aberdeen.
 |
The 17th of June:
It was the 17th of June; the Dunkirk scene was past,
The bulk of Britain’s fighting men had landed home at last,
But still there were some thousands who waited there in France,
Standing at the harbours, waiting for a chance.
The chance did come one morning, ‘Twas the 17th of June,
We saw a ship come gliding near, by the early moon.
The orders then were given - Stand by! Get ready to sail!
That ship it held six thousand, packed from funnel to rail.
Each man was happy, knowing that altho’ they had to run,
That ship would give another chance to beat the dirty Hun!
‘Twas the 17th of June when we were out at sea,
We heard the drone of planes on high and knew who they would be!
Nearer yet they came and nearer, four planes from out the sky,
We didn’t think then, that of us, four thousand were to die!
The guns were manned, we waited tense, we knew what had to come;
Then diving low, they fired at us, their bullets did get some.
Then back they came, roaring low, dropping all they had,
One by one they did the same, it was like Hell gone mad!
‘Twas the 17th of June, that ship was sinking fast,
The ship that was to take us home had met her fate at last!
The lifeboats then were lowered, crammed full enough to sink!
And men with full packs on, they jumped - they had no time to think.
The sea was then a mass of men, of dead men and of dying.
And many more were drowning fast - too tired to keep on trying.
But now they sleep on the bottom deep, these men who gave their all,
They died for one and each of us, these men who answered the call.
We’ll think of them as years roll by when the sea’s lit up by the moon,
When they sank the proud LANCASTRIA on the 17th of June!
By Ernest Archibald, 1940
|
