Reading The Century: Too Many, Too Young, Too Soon

2015 marks the Centenary of the ill fated allied invasion of Gallipoli in which almost 600,000 Allies and Turkish soldiers were killed. Included in the British Forces were the men who formed 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. These men were drawn mainly from Bury, Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Todmorden and what is today Greater Manchester. It is to the memory of the men of both sides and the recognition of their sacrifice this blog and the Reading The Century events have been facilitated by the Rochdale Co-operative Members Volunteer Group.

Local Area Roll of Honour

Too Many, Too Young, Too Soon

Ill prepared for war
Gallipoli rations supplied
drowned them in the sea
too many too young, too small
no training at all
many a peril to face
such a disgrace
people dying right, left, centre
night and day
there was no time for respects
to pay
if they weren’t blown to pieces
by weapons and wire of war
West Beach
bitter frost bitten weather
took their fingers
and toes
out of reach
There was
disease rife
too
dysentery or
entric
more catchable
than the flu
place stank
to high heaven
dead bodies
rotting in
the sea
insects covering
them
flies and flea
not a place
you’d want to
be
local lads
wishing they
were back in
good old
Middleton town
wasn’t much
chance of any
of them coming
around
homeward bound
after the torture and pain
life would never be the
same, ever again.

© Julia McClay
March 2015.

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Too Many, Too Young, Too Soon