ONE OF PLENTY
Jul 31, 2013 15:25:47 GMT
Post by tonyrod on Jul 31, 2013 15:25:47 GMT
ONE OF PLENTY UNDER AGED IN WW1
I GOT TO KNOW A LIVERPOOL BARROW BOY WHO FOUGHT IN WW1
HE WENT AND SIGNED UP IN THE ARMY WITH OUT TELLING HIS MUM
YOU CAN IMAGINE ALL THE PANIC AND PAIN SHE WAS GOING THROUGH
SHE WAS DETERMINED TO GET HIM HOME AGAIN
BEFORE THE YEAR WAS THROUGH
SHE WROTE OFF TO THE ARMY, MY SON HE’S UNDERAGE
YOU HAVE HIS FATHER AND BROTHER YOU HAVE ME IN A RAGE
THEN THE ARMY THEY REPLIED LIKE THE ARMY ALWAYS DO
YOU NEED TO SEND HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR PROOF OF HIS AGE
AND IT'S NEEDED IN A HURRY, HIS REGIMENT ARE ABOUT TO ENGAGE
THEN THE PANIC SURE SET IN, SHE HAD NO MONEY YOU SEE
3 SHILLING AND 7 PENCE WAS NEEDED TO GET HIM BACK HOME FREE
SHE GOT THE MONEY BUT IT WAS TO LATE
HIS REGIMENT THE CHESHIRES WHERE HEADING FOR FOREIGN SHORES
FRANCE THEN ON TO SALONIKA PLACES HE HAD NEVER BEEN BEFORE
THE MOTHER CARRIED ON WRITING YOU HAVE ALL THE PROOF YOU NEED
AND I NEED HIM HOME EARLY, BEFORE HE'S IN A GRAVE.
SHE FINALLY GOT THE LETTER SHE WAS WAITING FOR,
YOUR SON IS COMING HOME
HE'S HEADING FOR FRIENDLY SHORE'S
IT HAD TOOK OVER A YEAR TO FINALLY GET HIM HOME
SHE WAS WELL DELIGHTED, HE HAD PUT ON ALMOST A STONE
BUT THE FEELING OF JOY THAT WAS NOT TO LAST
HE WENT AND SIGNED UP AGAIN ALMOST STRAIGHT AWAY
THIS TIME IN THE MANCHESTER'S HE WAS GOING OVER AGAIN
HIS FATHER IN THE MEAN TIME WAS KILLED NEAR HIGH WOOD,
HIS MOTHER THEN WAS FRANTIC, SHE WAS DOING ALL SHE COULD
THE ELDEST SON WAS IN EAST AFRICA BUT IN A TOTAL DIFFERENT WAR
THE FAMILY GATHERED ROUND HER THEY ALL KNEW IT HAD TO BE
TO FIGHT FOR KING AND COUNTRY FOR THE LIKES OF YOU AND ME
THAT YOUNG SOLDIER WAS MY GRAND FATHER ONE OF PLENTY OF YOUNG BOYS WHO CAME BACK MEN
WHO NEVER TALKED ABOUT THE WAR OR THE HORROR HE HAD SEEN,
PTE, WILLIAM C RODAWAY
CHESHIRE, MANCHESTER AND DEVONSHIRE REGIMENTS
Birth NOVEMBER 1899 Liverpool Died December 1966 Blackpool.
Signed up 13 April 1915 aged 15 years and 6 months
Discharged l 2-6-1916 Re-signed sometime after
