Martin “Marty” Boyce

OUR FAMILY DID THEIR BIT

Great uncle Jim was first to go, Gallipoli and France
Then uncles Frank and Eddie thought that they should take a chance
three brothers now in uniform to serve their mother land
next uncle Tom enlisted he was off to tempt fate’s hand

Poor Tom would only last three months, a mother’s tears were shed
three sons were still in battle, but the eldest one was dead
throughout the war the battles raged and men fell all around
but the Boyces were resilient and stayed above the ground

Frank was made an officer and awarded for his toil
in a crucial battle fought and won upon the Flemish soil
he kept the comms lines open as a barrage thunder’d in
was crucial to a victory the allies had to win

Jim remained in infantry his battles honours showed
the names like Paschendale and the dreaded Menin Road
thrice wounded and sent back to fight like others of his band
but still our Jim avoided taking up a piece of land

Eddie joined the signals corps, by all accounts was quite a lad
he was in a bit of trouble, seems the army thought him bad
but he slogged it out until a gas attack left Eddie blind
and the scars of battles haunted him they left a shattered mind

with victory seeming closer, when the end was now in sight
Jim went into the battle with a feeling things weren’t right
Jim lost his final battle as an enfilading round
despatched him, it was at Doullens he’d bought his piece of ground

Four sons had left Australia, but two were left behind
Frank returned a hero, poor Eddie came home blind
Tom is buried now at Tyne Cot with thousands more who died
Jim lies buried down in Doullens with a tommy by his side

Frank and Eddie never were the same when they got home
they never were to settle, they were often prone to roam
Eddie took his life one night a tortured soul at rest
Frank was dead at forty five, lasted longer than the rest

My Great Grand mother lost her boys, the war gods took their toll
the Boyce name now is etched in bronze upon the honour roll
our wish is that humanity would never want to start
another war, we’ve done our bit, the Boyces played their part

©Copyright November 11, 2011 by Martin “Marty” Boyce