The Somme Poem by Gerard Woods

Over the hill
There the bullets where flying
Over the hill, men were dying
Forward towards the enemy trenches and
Rifle and machine gun fire
Men where falling
But not one man would retire
Forward to the guns
Over the wire, men where crawling
Hundreds falling under and over the wire
Towards the guns and the machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Except by enemy rifle and machine gun fire

Little ground had been taken
But at no time where the ranks breaking
Onwards forward
Towards the enemy trenches
And the rifle and machine gun fire
Under and over the wire
But no man would retire
No mans land was beckoning
No time for reckoning
Onwards towards
The rifle and machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Except by enemy rifle and machine gun fire

Soldiers where crying
Comrades dying, onwards
Onwards, they went forward
Toward the enemy trenches
And the rifle and machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Brave men all
But no whisle call would recall
The ranks that went forward
And onward towards the
The enemy trenches
And the rifle and machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Except by enemy rifle and machine gun fire


From the brave lions of that day
Went the shout" no time for doubt lads "
Onwards lads towards
The enemy lines
Towards the rifle and machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Keep your nerve where here to serve
Ours is not to reason why
That day thousands would die
As they advanced towards
The enemy trenches
And the rifle and machine gun fire
But no man would retire
Except by enemy rifle and machine gun fire