National Poetry Day is on 4th October 2018 and Steve sent me a poem from a book called “The Abingdon Fire service” 1871 – 1945.” Steve says the book is full of amazing stuff about the town and much of the fire brigades activities in the second world war.

In Nineteen Hundred and Thirty Eight,
‘Twas felt old England’s life was at stake,
And so, in answer to the old Chiefs call,
Some local gallants, about forty in all,
Besieged the Station in Bury Street,
Clean chins, clean boots, and clothes all neat,
To offer their services to the crown
As well as this old English town.

Auxiliary firemen, he said you will be,
If after twenty drills you are he
Who knows all the workings of hydrant and hose
Of pumps and ropes, yes don’t forget those,
Like little boys with some new toy,
We donned our tunics and, oh boy!
Constantly drilling mostly in the dark,
Little thinking ’twas more than a lark …

Then it came; this was it, bombers galore,
The battle of Britain off Dover’s shores,
And then every night for hours on end
We stood by for duty at the town’s three ends,
Three crews, three pumps which were just the ticket
While others the Town Hall and Thames Street did picket,
Bemoaning the watch on the eerie Town Hall,
pdf attached if you want to read it All…

(All Rights Reserved to BEN and the AFS book.)