Thursday 28 August 2014

PTE LEWTHWAITE WRITES THE FIRST POEM ABOUT PPCLI PUBLISHED IN THE OTTAWA CITIZEN AUGUST 27TH, 1914

Princess Pat’s Light Infantry

Years of thought and constant study
Preperation, cruel war,
Havoc, death, destruction bloody.
Nations fight and cannons roar.
‘Cause the War-Lord in a vision,
Saw himself alone, supreme,
Driving all into submission,
Realizing ev’ry dream.

Europe would be wrecked and battered.
So the tyrant’s dream foretold,
But his dreams were sorely shattered.
By a people wise and bold.

Pat’s Pets heard the bugle calling,
Men to arms, the other day.
Yes, they heard the Kaiser brawling;
That was why the joined the fray.

Full of fight and expectation,
Would not be refused—Oh, no.
Longed to be off to the station,
On their way to fight the foe.

P’raps you’ll see them, grim and solemn,
Kiss their wives and kids good-bye.
Then depart and join the column,
Determined to do or die, —

For Old England, Home and Beauty
And the flag of liberty, 
Ready at the call of duty.
Princess Pat’s Light Infantry.

Pte J.W. Lewthwaite.


PPCLI, No. 1 Co.
PPCLI Officers in front of the Aberdeen Pavillion, Lansdowne Park, August 27th, 1914
A Few of the PPCLI Boys at Ottawa August 27th, 1914
PPCLI 2 Company Officers and NCOs Group photo