People I knew who escaped alive
From Arnhem, the Bridge too Far,
That Unsuccessful campaign
Of The Second World War.
But for a leg broken in practice
Richard would have been there
Maybe jumping to his death
Through the clear still air.
Captain Bill, then a glider pilot.
A hazardous way of arrival
Cutting down the chances
Of his amazing survival.
Old Alan the Para
Not long ago passed on
Who yarned over a pint
About times long gone.
Other people I served with,
Names gone beyond recall,
Shades of faces remembered,
Surviving Heroes one and all.
Eighty years later I'm here
In a state of anticipation
To tour the museum
Set at its exact location.
