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| My father, Samuel Wait (1923-2008) |
For over 18 months I have been researching my father's military career. Going through various regimental diaries, military papers, books etc. Dad was in the 4th Field Royal Artillery and often attached to 4th Battalion Royal West Kents. Here is a poem I have discovered in the RWK Diary, written just before the ' Battle of the Admin Box' :
‘SITREP' a poem attached to the Appendix of the Royal West Kent Regimental Diary dated January 1944:
SITREP
The Jap hold out at RAZABIL
He’s made a raid on TAUNG,
There’s trouble on the NGAKYEDAUK
It seems he must be strong.
He’s even tried for BRIASCO BRIDGE
The sky is full of Zeros,
His troops hold out on 731
Prepare to die like heroes.
Brigade have moved up on a hill,
And put up a sign “NO ENTRY
And just to show they mean their word
Beside them stands a sentry.
They say they’re digging in at Corps
(The RAJPUTS are at hand,
And 14th ARMY orders us
To fight and make a stand.
There’s reinforcements on the way
No talk of going back,
The keynote of our plans shall be
Attack-Attack-ATTACK
We’ve lots of planes and tanks and guns
While Britain rules the ocean,
We’re only waiting for the word
To set the thing in motion.
We’re fighting fit and full of fight
So let’s get cracking soon-
We’d like to see old TOJO’s face
When he hears we’re in RANGOON”.
(4 RWK Diary)
