Qantas And The Bully Beef Bombers Poem by Paul Warren

When the Second World War began
QANTAS aircraft were part of the RAAF plan
Two Empire Flying Boats were taken with their crews
To form part of the defence of Australia too

These planes were part of the England service
The QANTAS flying boats crews continued with war duties and were courageous
As they continued to fly through the danger
Keeping communication open was their war

A QANTAS plane was one of the last aircraft out of Singapore
When it fell to the Japanese as the greatest defeat of the British during WW2
Later in the War they flew from Perth across the Indian Ocean
To keep communication links open with the Empire
They by sheer reckoning delivered Meteorologists to the Cocos Islands
There were no radar beacons in those days
So that the Allies could have good weather forecasting in the Indian Ocean
As supply aircraft they flew with the RAAF and USAAF to supply
Our troops on the Kokoda Trail as the famed Bully Beef bombers

18 members of QANTAS died on service during the war
The ones who stayed with the airline
Did not receive war medals even though they took similar chances to RAAF personnel
Remember them for what they did
Lest we forget all those who did their part
In the war against the axis powers in WW2.

© Paul Warren

Quite rightly Merchant Marine sailors received war medals, surely these brave men deserved them as well!