It was just before dawn
one miserable morning in black 'forty four
when the forward commander was told to sit tight
when he asked that his men be withdrawn
and the generals gave thanks
as the other ranks held back the enemy tanks
for a while
and the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price
of a few hundred ordinary lives

and kind old King George sent mother a note
when he heard that father was gone
it was, I recall, in the form of a scroll,
with gold leaf and all
and I found it one day
in a drawer of old photographs, hidden away
and my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed
with his own rubber stamp

it was dark all around
there was frost in the ground
when the Tigers broke free
and no one survived
from the Royal Fusiliers Company C
they were all left behind
most of them dead, the rest of them dying
and that's how the High Command
took my daddy from me