War - Ww1 - Gunner Joseph Prentice Thorpe, First Aif, And South Australia Police Poem by Paul Warren

John Prentice Thorpe was born in April,1881 in the city of Adelaide
He was a son of the Southern Cross who served his country as a hero was made
Enlisting in 6th South Australian Bushmen's Contingentfor the first time
Then the 8th Australian Commonwealth Horse together for two tours fine
Fighting and riding across the veldt in South Africa against the Boers
Winning the Kings medal with five clasps in the veldt of this a mobile mounted war

On returning to South Australia in 1908 he joined the South Australia Police
And during his time wearing the blue for the public he kept the peace
When the bugles called to Australians to go to arms in the Great War
He returned to the colours as a strong gunner a hard task and chore
And he was at The Landing when the invasion stormed Gallipoli
Surviving the months of hell serving the guns in strength to see

He went to France at Armentieres, Pozieres, the Somme and the Hindenburg Line
Through some of the bloodiest battles of the Western Front had to find
At Lagnicourt in April 1917, the Germans attacked and Gunner Thorpe was wounded
And he was taken to an Allied Hospital behind the lines where a week later he died
So he became one of the 60,000 Australian dead who lost their lives in those days
But as a special one for South Australia Police to remember on ANZAC Days.

© Paul Warren Poetry