Against All Odds: In Memory of My Father L/Corp. George Matthews Royal Irish Fusiliers World War I

By Aline Hanna

This collection of Poetry was compiled by my late father, George Matthews, who in his teenage years enlisted in the Army in World War One. He was sent to France and seriously wounded. He did not talk much about the War, veterans are not inclined to talk about their experiences and all the horrors they endured, but he did tell me he remembered the shell hitting the trench in which he was. He remembers running for cover but when he was found he was thought to be dead. He was not however, and possibly due to the delay in finding this out, gangrene had set in and he had to have his right arm and left leg amputated. During his stay in hospital in London he underwent thirteen operations, and right up until he died at the age of 62 there were still pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body.

He was the most wonderful father to me and we shared many things including his love of music and flowers. He had a wonderful bass voice and sang in concerts many times. He was the most courageous man I have ever met, nothing daunted him, he even walked without the aid of a cane or crutch. He had, however to learn to write with his left hand and by way of practice gathered up this collection of poetry. His book was discovered years after his death and because of the effort it must have been for him to do this, I thought I should try in some way to compile this collection in book form. His writing was so clear it took no effort on my part to make a copy. I have included some words I wrote after he died expressing my love and admiration for him called The Dearest One I Knew.

I hope you enjoy the variety of his work and on next Armistice Day, spare a thought for men like him who survived the horrors of war and still do, but face life with courage and fortitude.
Aline Hanna (Matthews)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Sep 7, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453572160

Book preview

Contents

Acknowledgements

FIRST GROUP

MY OLD NURSE

MEMORIES

THE FLAG

HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE

WHAT CANADA THINKS

DARE WE

TRYST

THE LARK

THE LAW OF THE YUKON

RECESSIONAL

IN FLANDER’S FIELDS

THE SACRED DEAD

THE ANXIOUS DEAD

THE BACKWARDS ROAD

THE STONE OUTSIDE DAN MURPHY’S DOOR

PRIMROSES

THE STRETCHER BEARER

A SOLDIER’S FUNERAL

THE PRIVATE STILL

ALL YOU WISH YOURSELF SIR

CROSSING THE BAR

GOODBYE OLE PAL.

PILGRIMS

EPITAPH DATED 1789—AT SLINDON—IN ESSEX

THE PRIDE OF GLENAVY

LIFE’S ELIXIR

LEST WE FORGET

ONLY A MEMORY LEFT

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

SWEET FREEDOM BE THINE

ONLY A DAD

GOD SAVE IRELAND

THE LITTLE ARM CHAIR

FANNIE

HIRE PURCHASE

MY FOE

MY FOE (continued)

MORNING LAUGHTER

LIFE’S SHOP

THE BRITON’S TRIBUTE

THE LAUGHTER OF BABY

THE PLANTATION MOURNS HER CHIEF

(Sir H Wilson)

NOWADAYS

THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE LEGIONS

ALEX AND HER

THE UNSEEN GUARD

SOME QUESTION

WISDOM

MAKE AN OPPORTUNITY

SOURCES OF SOLACE

THE BARD OF ARMAGH

MY SON PHIL’S WEDDING DAY.

DO IT NOW

THE ROAD TO ANYWHERE

A RONDEAU

THE FOOL

THE FOOL (Continued)

BEARDING THE BEAVER

A FEW QUESTIONS

LITTLE BY LITTLE

THE CHRISTMAS PINK

THE MISTLETOE BOUGH

ULSTER SPEAKS TO BROTHER BRITONS

THE DIFFERENCE

CHRISTMAS

SIR JAMES CRAIG

BETHLEHEM

FAIRIES

A BABY FACE

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

THE SUNNY SIDE

THE VERY BEST WAY

WHEN THE TIDE HAS TURNED

THEIR ONLY CHILD

THE LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN

WHY WORRY

IT CAN BE DONE

JUST A LITTLE

THE CONQUEROR

A GOOD CREED

CHRISTMAS 1921

THE CONVALESCENT

THE BEST OF LIFE

NEW YEAR

BUILD

APRIL SHOWERS

DEVIL MAY CARE

DEVIL-MAY CARE (Continued)

THREE KISSES

TEMPTED

TWO RICH WOMEN

A PRAYER

A SWARM OF BEES

THE ROUGH CARD

THE ROUGH CARD (continued)

WAYFARERS

GIVE US MEN

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS

FAITH

A GREETING

MOTHS

THE LAND OF SUNRISE

FOR MASONS

A ZUMMERZET YOKEL

O’ER THE HILLS

AN AUSTRALIAN HYMN

KEVIN BARRY

IN MEMORY OF THE R.I.C. KILLED IN IRELAND

SECOND GROUP

THE LONG DAY CLOSES

ARITHMETIC ON THE FRONTIER

THE MAPLE LEAF

CUTTING YOUR NAILS

A BIT ADDED

WORK

SOME MEETING

WAITING

A SONG OF TOMORROW

TO EARL HAIG (died February 1928)

YOUR EQUAL CHANCE

A MANLY MAN

SONG FOR A GREY DAY

RED ROSES

BE MOTHERED

THAT CHEERY MORNING SMILE

SMILES

MY MATE

MY MATE (Continued)

SEND A SPRIG OF SHAMROCK

A THIEF

AIM HIGH

THE ROAD OF LIFE

WHEN I SAIL OUT

A NEW YEAR THOUGHT

FAREWELL TO THE CAVE HILL

NEW YEAR REFLECTION

FRENCH OF YPRES (died 26th May 1925)

PADDY McGINTY’S GOAT

PADDY McGINTY’S GOAT (Continued)

WORKADAY BRAVE

TO ROBERT BURNS

DAY JOURNEYS

HOME SWEET HOME

THE MONGREL DOG IN MARCH

THE FACE ON THE BAR ROOM FLOOR

THE FACE ON THE BAR ROOM FLOOR (Continued)

WHEN

LITTLE BOY BLUE

THE HOMES OF ENGLAND

A NEW YEAR THOUGHT

R.I.R. RIFLES REGIMENTAL MARCH

THE LITTLE FORCE

CARRY ON

SOCIALISM?

WHERE THE STRANGE ROADS GO DOWN

ARMISTICE NIGHT

OULD COUNTY ANTRIM

THE DEAR LITTLE SHAMROCK

DEAR ULSTER (A HYMN)

PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO MEN

DON’T HIT BELOW THE BELT

STEVE HUTTON

HER NAME IS MOLLY MALONE

THE SWALLOW’S RETURN

WHAT IT MUST MEAN

HENRY FORD

SIGNS OF RAIN

BRITAIN

THE DEATH OF MARY

BRITAIN

OLD IRELAND

ULSTER’S WELCOME

MEN OF ULSTER

THE WORM

TIME

QUEEN’S WAR MEMORIAL

DRUMS OF DOWN

ROLL CALL OF THE FALLEN

THE LATE MR B COBURN—WARRENPOINT

ODE TO BRITAIN

NO CHANCE

THE R.I.R. RIFLES (Y.C.Vs.)

MEMORIES OF THE BRAVE

MY NATIVE LAND

A MESSAGE TO ULSTER

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER

MY NATIVE LAND

LEND A HAND

IN MEMORY OF THE ALL BLACKS RUGBY TEAM

BROTHERHOOD

HOW TO COUNT YOUR BONES

WHERE IS NOW THE MERRY PARTY?

THE ROAD TO MENIN

THE PIPE OF THE ROBIN

SPRIG OF IVY

THE SEA IS HIS

WOOD FIRES LORE

THE OLD HOUSE FAR AWAY

RATHFRILAND ON THE HILL

RATHFRILAND ON THE HILL (Continued)

THE CAGED SKYLARK

THE TRIUMPHANT HILLS

THE OULD SHAMROCK

G O D

THE ‘BOOKIE’

THE DEAREST ONE I KNEW

THE DEAREST ONE I KNEW (Continued)

Acknowledgements

R M SERVICE

ELLEN FORRESTER

M FARRAGH

C GILBERT

D BRIDGE

DR STONNER

R D HUGHES

WM H McVEIGH

T J PATTERSON

CHARLES M HOLMES

EDGAR GUEST

I D MILNE

J GRIDER

NORA GREY

I D MILNE

M E SCARBOROUGH

B WILLIAMS

R WILLS

ETHEL E MANN

LILIAN GARD

ELLA W WILCOX

P LOUGHRAM

W J ASHCROFT

M STRICKLAND

J W L HULL

VICTOR AUVRAY

M NOLAN

H B G STAIRCROFT

G CALVERT

DAVIS

URSULA BLOOM

J BOWEN

R R CLARKA WISE

DRAGIAN

KIPLING

ROBERT ROSEMOND

EDYTHE BAKER

M H MacCABE

M DAVIES

W McMORDIE

JOHN HOLLAND

E J H NAYLER

LOFTUS DALE

B SYRETT

ALICE WISE

THOMAS CARNDUFF

J McCREA

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

SCOTT

J LOGAN

W J ASHCROFT

A F N mcLENNAN

EDWARD JENNER

C WOLFE

TENNYSON

LONGFELLOW

W B WHEELWRIGHT

THOMAS R ROBINSON

M LEMON

MARGUERITE McKAY

BRABTWOOD

GISBORNE

KNOX

R R CLARK

ALEX MUIR

JAMES W FOLEY

SIR JOHN ROSS

THOMAS CARNDUFF

R W HUGHES

HENRY NEWBOLT

R P WESTON

O W HOLMES

IAN DRAG

EUGENE FIELD

FELICIA HEMANS

JAY BELL

JAMES CARTER EDWARDS

MARMION

MOORE

COWPER

PHYLLIS OLIVE WALKER

TED OLSON

PERCY HARROGATE

MISS E R KIDDJO BURROWS

J M PICKARD

F E WEATHERBY

A HEATH

FIRST GROUP

MY OLD NURSE

Sometimes when all alone I sit

And the twilight fills the room,

And I dream of all the faces that

I’ve met in shine or gloom.

I dream of ladies tall and fair

Then all the dreams disperse,

And the sweetest face I ever knew

Was that of my old nurse.

Her cheeks were like the apple’s glow

Her eyes were soft and clear;

She always thought me wonderful

And held my doings dear.

Her apron was a snowy white

So slender was her purse,

But her ways were gold—I often long

To go back to my old nurse.

They laid her ’neath her flowers to sleep

Where violets blow free.

And oh, in death I still believe

She prays a prayer for me.

And I’m a better woman too

Her goodness would rehearse,

For she believed the best of me

My faithful, good old nurse.

URSULA BLOOM

MEMORIES

With nature’s peaceful soothing charm

No glories can compare,

The heart that’s dead it helps to warm

And drive away all care.

And oft in memory’s dream I see

Each sweet wild flower so dear to me

And as the years go swiftly by

To share their simple joys I sigh.

The wild rose and the sweet bluebell

O’er me a glamour cast,

The violet and their magic spell

I’ll feel while life doth last.

F W JOHN

THE FLAG

The flag of Britannia, the flag of the brave

Triumphant it floateth on land and on wave.

And proudly it braves the battle and blast

For when tattered with shot it is nailed to the mast.

OLD SONG

HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE

How sleep the Brave who sink to rest

By all their country’s wishes blest.

When spring, with dewy fingers cold

Returns to deck their hallowed mould

She there shall dress a sweeter sod

Than Fancy’s feet have ever trod.

By fairy hands their knell is rung,

By forms unseen their dirge is sung.

There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey

To bless the turf that wraps their clay.

And Freedom shall awhile repair

To dwell a weeping hermit there.

BELFAST TELEGRAPH

WHAT CANADA THINKS

Fatherless. motherless, scantily clad,

Sisterless, brotherless, lonely and sad.

Out in the far, alone, nothing but skin and bone,

Not a red cent is his own—somebody’s lad.

Only to think of it, just on the brink of it,

Hardly begun.

Taking the leap alone, into the dread unknown,

Somebody’s son.

TORONTO EVENING TELEGRAPH

DARE WE

Dare we grudge their quiet sleeping?

Who have fought such odds.

Envy them, the day completed

Facing death, yet undefeated.

Their honour in good keeping

And their hand in God’s.

BELFAST POET

TRYST

As soon as the gate of your soul unborn

Let me the signal light,

And I will come over the bridge of stars

To sleep in your heart tonight.

FRANCES McCALLUM

THE LARK

From wrath red dawn to wrath red dawn

The guns have brayed without abate.

And now the sick sun looks upon

The bleared blood blotted fields of hate.

As if it loathed to rise again.

How strange the hush; yet sudden hark!

From yon down trodden gold of grain

The leaping rapture of a lark.

A fusillade of melody

That sprays us from yon trench of sky.

A new amazing enemy

We cannot silence ‘tho we try.

A battery on radiant wings

That from yon gap of golden fleece

Hurls at us hopes of such strange things

As joy and home and love and peace.

Pure heart of song; do you not know

That we are making earth a hell,

Or is it that you try to show

Life still is joy and all is well.

Brave little wings! Ah not in vain

You beat into that bit of blue.

Tho, we who pant in war’s red stain

Lift shining eyes, see Heaven too.

R W SERVICE

THE LAW OF THE YUKON

This is the law of the Yukon and ever she makes it plain,

Send not your feeble and foolish, send me your strong and your sane.

Strong for the red rage of battle, send for I harry them sore,

Send me men grit for the combat, men who are grit to the core.

Swift as the panther in triumph, fierce as the bear in defeat,

Sired of a bulldog parent, steeled